The Man Who Can't Be Moved
by CarpeDiemEveryday
Summary: Inspired by the song by The Script. May's convinced Drew doesn't care about anyone other than himself. He's out to prove her wrong. But he didn't count on Brendan being added to the mix... A DrewXMayXBrendan love triangle! Completed at long last.
1. Sour Patch Kids and Sidewalks

**DISCLAIMER: CarpeDiemEveryday owns neither Pokemon nor the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". They belong, respectively, to Nintendo/GameFreak/Satoshi Tajiri and to The Script.**

**Enjoy, and give feedback!  
Carp**

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**The Man Who Can't Be Moved**

**Chapter One: Sour Patch Kids and Street Names  
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May Maple was wandering around Petalburg with her rival, Drew Hayden. They weren't on a date, heck no - she'd just run into him while grocery shopping and he'd just followed her keeping up their conversation. Actually, no one was really talking right now, just walking. Drew had just finished off some insult that she'd tuned out. May frowned. And any second now - A rose was thrust in her face out of nowhere. May turned her head to see Drew proffering said rose. "For Beautifly," he said. Nothing more, nothing less. Just "For Beautifly." As always. _And now,_ May thought, _he's just going to walk off in the opposite direction_-

"See you around, May," Drew muttered as if on cue, turning and walking away from her. May sighed and looked after him. _You know what he reminds me of? Those commercials for Sour Patch Kids. He'll do something all sour and mean, then he'll try to make up for it with a rose that's for _Beautifly_, and then he just leaves me… And you know what? I don't have to put up with this anymore! I just can't deal with him. Why can't he just be honest with me? Ugh. I don't know. No, you know what? I am NOT letting him get away this time!_ And with that, May hurried after Drew.

Drew was ambling aimlessly along his selected street. He didn't really have anywhere to go, and he was happy doing what he was doing, until familiar shouts made him pause and turn around.

"Drew, get back here!" May ran up to him, panting. He was a little alarmed. _What did she want? This wasn't how things usually went… _

Drew flicked his hair. "Need something?"

May took a deep breath, then began. "You know what? I am so sick of you and your Sour Patch-ness. I mean, in between all the roses for Beautifly and everything, I don't think you've ever even said if you care about ME. And, what, is that going to just continue? What if we DO get in a relationship or whatever? Would you pull out a ring and say, 'This is for Beautifly'?"

Drew just stared. _Say what about Sour Patch Kids? And… what?_ "Um…" Drew winced as May's ranting became more and more high-pitched.

"See? You see? You don't even _have_ an answer, do you? And even if you did, why should I believe you?"

Drew was flummoxed, to say the least. "May, I'm not sure what this is about, but-"

Now May was crying. Why was May crying? "Of c-course you d-don't know what I'm t-talking about, D-drew! You d-don't c-care about me, or anyone, even! All y-you ever think about is y-yourself! J-just when have y-you ever done something only f-for someone else! N-NEVER!" She sniffed, and swiped at her tears. "I c-can't d-deal with you n-now. Bye." Then May ran down the street, tears flowing down her face, leaving Drew alone.

_May, what have I done?_

_

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Drew thought about chasing after May, but then decided she needed some time to calm down and think. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he resumed his aimless amblings, but the happiness was gone from the day.

Drew knew that she was right about some things. He was a bit selfish. He grimaced. _Make that a big bit._ But she was wrong about one thing. He _did_ care for someone in this world. Her. Much as he tried to hide it from both himself and the world, Drew had fallen for his rival. His problem, unfortunately, was that he couldn't help but tease her, insult her, try to convince himself he didn't care… But there was no way he could do that. None. So he ended up looking to May like a heartless jerk who just enjoyed toying with her.

Suddenly, Drew felt miserable and tired. He stopped and leaned on a nearby wall, thinking. _How can I show her I care? I can't just tell her; she already has zero trust in me. Flowers won't get me anywhere, since I always give her roses…_ "except they're for Beautifly, remember?" he muttered to himself. _I'm such a coward. I mean, how hard would it have been for me to have just said I liked her. And that was before I realized I love her… _Drew sighed, then looked around him, anything to distract him from the pangs shooting through him. _So… this is how it feels to care so much… _

His green eyes flicked over the scene. It wasn't much; just another intersection in Petalburg. There were sidewalks and streetlamps, trashcans and trees who were dwarfed by buildings twice as tall. _Hm, where am I anyways?_ Drew glanced up at the sign, and saw that he stood at First Street and Maple Avenue. _First and Maple, huh. Maple… May. May… _He suddenly felt like a giant emotional sponge, just waiting to be wrung out. He slumped down the wall and put his head in his hands. He didn't cry; he couldn't. Apparently, the sponge wasn't wet enough.

And then, a lightbulb popped up over his head. Quite literally, too; it was getting dark, and the streetlights were coming on, one by one. But it just so happened that Drew had a brilliant idea at the same time. _May wants to see that I care? I'll show her._ Instead of getting up, he just sat where he was. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a Pokeball, releasing his Absol.

"Ab sol sol? Absol ab!" _Drew, what's up? I was TRYING to sleep!_

Drew sighed. "Sorry, Absol, I just… wanted some company."

"Sol? Absol sol ab sol ab ab, absol ab." _So? Go to a Pokemon Center, if you're lonely._

Drew winced. Absol wasn't exactly perky at the best of times. "Um, well, you see, I had this idea…"

He did his best to explain his brilliant scheme to his Pokemon, but Absol was, well…

"Sol sol absol ab _sol?_ Ab ab sol absol sol ab sol! Ab ab sol ab abs." _You woke me up for _that? _That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard of! I'm going back to bed!_ And with that, Absol turned into red light and disappeared back into his Pokeball. Drew looked down at the capsule sadly. _I'd been looking for some positive feedback… wait, I know who I want to talk to!_ Drew felt around in his pocket for a different Pokeball. Once he had it, he called out his Masquerain. Masquerain looked tired too, but was much less negative than Absol had been.

"Masqueraaaaaain," it yawned. "Masq, rain rain? _Drew, whatcha need?_

Drew scratched the back of his neck, suddenly uncomfortable. "Um, Masquerain, I kinda wanted to talk about… well, about stuff, and you seemed like the best one to go to-"

"Masq masq, querain rain!" it interrupted. _That's me, the stuff master!_ Drew raised his eyebrows, and Masquerain sweatdropped. "Masquerain, querain." _Sorry, Drew, continue please._

Drew's eyes softened. "It's okay. So, yeah, you being the stuff expert and all, um, I wanted some advice. Girl advice, sort of. And please," here he raised a hand, silencing his Pokemon friend, "don't interrupt. I already had to tell it once, and Absol wasn't exactly sympathetic." (At this, Masquerain nodded. Absol was like that.) "So, I was hanging out with May today, just doing what we normally do, except when I'd left, she came tearing after me screaming something about candy, and how I don't care, and how I'm going to propose to Beautifly-"

"MASQUE-RAIN?!?! RAIN MASQ, QUER RAIN QUER MASQ!" Masquerain, totally forgetting the no-interruptions rule, yelled out, _YOU'LL WHAT?!?! BEAUTIFLY'S MINE, SO BACK OFF, DREW!_ Then he realized what he'd said, and abruptly shut up.

Drew smirked slightly. "Don't worry, Masquerain, I'm not stealing Beautifly anytime soon. I don't know, May said some pretty random stuff. But she was really upset, and apparently she won't believe anything I say, and she doesn't want to see me, and she's right-" The wave of sponge-like misery overcame him again, and it took him a few minutes to regain his composure. "So, I had this idea," he finally said. "Since she thinks I'm a selfish jerk who never does anything for anyone, I'll be proving her wrong. I'm going to stay right here until she'll listen to me, until she believes me when I say-" He hesitated.

"Masq?" _Yes?_

Drew sighed. "When I can tell her who all those roses really were for," he said, in almost a whisper.

"Masquerain rain, quer masq querain…" _That's brilliance there, Drew, I wish I had your guts…_ Drew glanced at his Pokemon, who had gone to gazing at the moon. Drew had noticed that this happened a lot whenever Masquerain thought of a certain Beautifly… Supposedly Pokemon mirrored their trainer's feelings; if that was the case, Drew wondered wryly whether Beautifly was sobbing her eyes out over some off-the-cuff comment Masquerain had thrown at her. Except, Masquerain was _much_ nicer to his rival than Drew was. Maybe he could learn something there.

"Hey, Masquerain, are you awake enough to stay with me for a while? I just don't want to stay out here alone, you know?" Masquerain didn't respond. Drew took that for a yes, and stared at the moon too. It was just rising above the distant tree-lined horizon, waning as the nights passed. Cold nights, too. It was the beginning of December, yet there was no snow. Naturally, all the meteorologists blamed global warming. Drew, however, was unconvinced. No, it was just an unusually warm December, though 'warm' meant just above freezing with rain instead of snow. It was rather depressing weather, but there wasn't much one could do about that. At least he didn't have to worry about being rained on tonight; the skies were clear. Luckily, Drew hadn't checked into a Pokemon Center that night, so he had all of his gear with him. He pulled a sleeping bag out of his pack and stuffed it behind his back. And together, the two gazed up at the sky, deep in thought.

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**Well, that's the first chapter done with! Now, you need to tell me: Do you hate it? Do you love it? Do you think Beautifly should beat up Masquerain for no reason? You can give me these answers and more by reviewing! And yet, you don't have to. I just need to know if anyone wants Chapter 2 posted, or what. **

**Cheers!  
Carp  
**


	2. Discussions

**Hello again! Thanks to those of you who reviewed the first chapter; I hope you like this new one.**

**DISCLAIMER: CarpeDiemEveryday doesn't own Pokemon or the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". Pokemon belongs to Nintendo/GameFreak/Satoshi Tajiri and the song belongs to The Script.

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**Chapter Two: Discussions**

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May had run home crying. _Why couldn't Drew just HAVE a heart? Why is he so wrapped up in himself? And, and why do I even care?_ May slowed down as she reached her neighborhood. Why did she care? She had no reason to feel anything towards her rival. Was there any reason? She hunted around in her mind, and to her surprise found… nothing. Nothing whatsoever. _Why should I care?_ She reached her house and unlocked the front door, dropping the groceries on the kitchen counter and retreating to her room. Once there, she realized she still had Drew's rose in her hand.

She seriously considered throwing it away, but then stopped. _After all, _she thought bitterly, _it IS for Beautifly, not me. So I can't throw away someone else's present, right?_ She sighed, and plunked it in the vase sitting on a shelf. It had been empty for a while, but then again, she hadn't seen Drew for a while. _Maybe, maybe the roses really aren't for me. Maybe they really are for Beautifly…_ And then a rational explanation for the roses occurred to her, so obvious, she was amazed she hadn't seen it sooner. _What if the roses aren't even from Drew? What if they're actually from his Masquerain, and he's acting as the middle man? Yeah, that actually makes sense, too… his Masquerain's always looking at Beautifly… Yeah, that's it! _She smiled fondly at the thought of the Pokemon's romance, but then she frowned as sadness hit her once more. If that was the case, if the roses were really strictly from Pokemon to Pokemon… then Drew didn't care at all.

This was getting to be more than May could handle. She needed somewhere she could think. Fortunately, she was the only one home, or else one of her parents would have asked her what was wrong sooner, but someone would be back soon. She needed to escape… So May scribbled a note next to the groceries and ran out the back door towards their old tree house. It had been the center of her imagination as a little girl; now, it was her sanctuary whenever she needed space from the world. She climbed up the worn wooden slats, carefully testing them to be sure they would support her weight, but they were all sturdy. Poking her head in, May was greeted by a sense of comfort she'd desperately needed. She crawled in, ignoring the dead leaves strewn about, and sat with her knees up to her chest. Suddenly, she began to cry again. She wasn't really sure why this time, but she felt inside that she _needed_ to cry. So she did.

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In the house next door, a teen paused as he was about to leave his room. What was that noise? He strained his ears, dark red eyes searching. Who was crying? He looked out his window, raising it a fraction, not wanting to let in the cold. Yes, crying, and it was coming from the tree house. He shut the window and hurried downstairs and outside. He crept cautiously towards the tree, not wanting to disturb whoever was up there. He began to climb, not up the ladder, but up the bare tree. He was nearly at the cut-out window when his foot slipped and he nearly fell. He bit back a gasp, but whoever was inside heard. The boy made out rustling noises, then a face poked out of the window hole.

"B-brendan?"

"May?"

"What are you d-doing? You're going to kill yourself! Here-" May held out her hand and helped him through the narrow aperture. Brendan sat down next to her, taking off his fluffy white hat. He noticed that she'd stopped crying, but still looked miserable.

"You know, there _is _a ladder," she finally mumbled. Brendan grinned.

"It's more fun just climbing, especially when you've got pretty girls saving you." May sniffed, but smiled back at him. "But, May, the more important question is, why are you up here sobbing your eyes out?"

May's smile faded. "Oh, it was… well, it wasn't nothing, but… yeah. I don't know, it's just, why can't he just say whether or not he cares, then let it go?" She paused, and Brendan felt an icy shard pierce his heart. _May has a boyfriend? After all these years of being in love with her, she has a boyfriend?_ May was talking again, and Brendan wrenched his thoughts back to her. "… but it's really not my problem, he isn't my boyfriend, or anything, just some jerk." And then, the ice in Brendan's heart melted, giving way to the warm and fuzzy feeling welling up inside him. _You still have a chance…_

"You know what always makes me feel better, May?" She shook her head. "Fast food. It's terrible for you, nothing but grease, but it somehow makes everything feel better. So tomorrow you just rest and stuff, and then, if you want, maybe we could go to McDonald's the day after." May looked a little startled.

"What, like on a date?" Brendan twitched. _Yes, like a date, I wish it could be a date, but_-

"Um, no, this could be as friends. Unless, you know, you want it to be - but, you know, just, sort of, um, casual, and, stuff…" He trailed off, feeling a blush creep over his face. _Fail, Brendan. Fail._

"Sounds great." Brendan stared. May had a small smile on her face. Suddenly, she had her arms wrapped around him in a light hug, while he tried not to hyperventilate. "And, thanks for understanding, Brendan," she whispered. "You're a great friend."

And then she was gone, leaving Brendan alone in the now-dark tree house, amazed that after all these years, she'd said 'yes'. _YES!

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Back in her room, May slumped on her bed, suddenly too tired for words. She felt herself drifting to sleep, Brendan's words echoing in her mind. _"Unless, you know, you want it to be…"_ But her last thought before her exhaustion overpowered her was:

_Do I?

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While May slept peacefully on her comfortable bed, Drew shivered in his sleeping bag out on the streets. Masquerain had begun to shiver uncontrollably, so Drew had been forced to return him to his Pokeball. He had considered calling out Roserade, but she would no doubt complain about the cold, as would Butterfree. Flygon probably wouldn't have minded, but Drew for some reason needed to speak with his Absol again. Mentally preparing himself for Absol's displeasure, Drew called him out once more. As he had expected, Absol was not pleased.

"Ab ab-sol?" _What is it now?_

Drew shivered again, and Absol's eyes softened slightly. "Sol abs sss? Absol sol sol ab, absol sol ab… sol." _Are you cold? You really should visit a Pokemon Center, unless you're continuing this… silliness._

"It- um, well, that's kind of why I woke you up again, sorry about that, by the way," Drew looked uncomfortable to Absol. _Well, of course he does, he's the idiot who thinks it's a good idea to catch hypothermia living like a hobo! I wonder if he's got grass for brains as well as hair. It would not surprise me, sometimes._

"Sol?" _So?_

Drew hesitated, then rushed out, "Absol, do you think there's a better way to do this? I mean, this is getting stupider by the minute, and I'm freezing out on the streets, and May doesn't even know it, maybe she doesn't even care." Absol blinked slowly. If he had had eyebrows, he would have raised one.

"Absol sol ab sol ab absol, sol?" _You mean an easier way, right?_ Drew flushed, but said nothing. _Hmph. He really is an idiot sometimes._ Absol turned his gaze to the street sign above his head, his expression thoughtful. After a minute or two, he resumed.

"Sol-ol absol, ab sol sol sol ab…"_ But in this case, you have no choice… _Absol yawned, then curled up in a ball next to Drew, warming his master somewhat.

Drew looked puzzled. "What do you mean, I have no choice? It's totally up to me! I can do whatever I want, why should I even bother-" And then, he realized what he was saying and felt cold inside. _It's true. It's all true. When did I become so selfish and spoiled that I just quit because something isn't easy? May's right, but I'm gonna change that, I swear it._ Out loud, he said to Absol, "You're wrong. I do have a choice. I just choose to stay here."

Absol rolled his eyes sleepily, but he knew he'd made his point. Drew rolled out his sleeping bag and, with Absol as a semi-obliging pillow, fell asleep on a sidewalk in Petalburg.

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**Another chapter done! Comments? Concerns? Who are you hoping May will end up with? Review!**

**See you next time,  
Carp**


	3. Meeting Max and McDonald's

**DISCLAIMER: CarpeDiemEveryday does not own Pokemon (which belongs to Nintendo, GameFreak, etc.) or the song 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' (written by The Script).**

**Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter Three: Monday: Meeting Max and McDonald's

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_Drew was with May on the cliff after the Kanto Grand Festival. The sun was setting, they weren't arguing, Harley was tied to a garbage barge headed for China… Ah, bliss. There was a lull in their conversation, so Drew mustered his courage, leaned towards May, and_-

"Hey, you, get off my sidewalk!" Drew was jerked out of his dream and awoke to find some kid standing over him, looking angry.

"Wh-what do you mean, kid?" Drew asked in bewilderment, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and waking up Absol in the process.

The kid looked even angrier. "What do I mean? I mean get off my sidewalk, as in, I don't know, GET OFF MY SIDEWALK!" The kid's eyes were bugging out slightly from behind large glasses. He couldn't have been much older than thirteen or fourteen, but his attitude made him a lot more intimidating.

Drew, however, was unimpressed. He yawned, stretched, then observed, "You know kid, I'm not actually on _your_ sidewalk, because it doesn't belong to _you_. Sidewalks belong to everyone."

The kid shook his head. "Wrong. That only applies if you pay city taxes, which you clearly don't."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "What, and you're telling me you do?"

The kid was at a loss for words, then started laughing. Drew raised his other eyebrow, then started to laugh too. It was so refreshing, bantering with someone who took it the right way. Their laughter subsided after a minute, and they grinned at each other. The kid was the first to speak.

"I'm Max. What's your name?" Drew hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. There was no reason not to tell the kid - Max - his name.

"I'm Drew. Nice to meet you, Max." They shook hands, and then Max frowned.

"So, Drew, what are you doing on the streets? You don't look like a homeless guy, 'cause your stuff's too nice, unless you stole it. Or," here he raised a finger in triumph, "maybe you passed out drunk!" He saw Drew's indignant expression, and hastily shook his head. "No, that's dumb too, you wouldn't be in a sleeping bag if that had happened. So what's up?"

Drew thought for a minute. Should he tell the kid? Did it matter? He decided it didn't, and told him his story. Max paid close attention, and when Drew had finished, muttered, "If that's what love makes you do, keep me out of it." Drew looked a bit hurt. "Sorry, no offense. I just can't imagine caring that much about someone." Drew let it go, realizing that a lot of people would think the same as Max.

He then glanced at his watch. It was around seven forty-five.

"Hey Max, don't you have school or something? Won't you be late?" Max twitched, and Drew immediately regretted asking. Obviously, the kid was playing truant or something. Drew was about to try and rectify the situation when Max spoke up.

"Um, no, I-I don't have anywhere to go. It's actually a long story, but since you're not going anywhere either, I guess I can tell you." He sat down next to Drew, took a deep breath, then began.

"You see, my parents died when I was young, and I've been passed around my relatives ever since. None of them ever really wanted me, and we didn't usually get along so great. The worst was when I was staying with my aunts, who really didn't like children in the first place. They always complained about what a burden I was, that I wasn't worth the food I ate." Max paused, and Drew saw in the boy's dark brown eyes how much those words had hurt him. Max cleared his throat and continued.

"Well, I wasn't about to impose on them, if that's how they felt." The words were darkly tainted with sarcasm. "I packed my bags and left that night. I took a bus here to Petalburg and I've been living here ever since."

Drew was impressed. "How old were you when you left?"

Max sighed. "Nearly ten."

"But, why didn't you just go on your Pokemon journey?" Drew asked, looking puzzled. "You could have gotten away from your family that way, right?" But Max was shaking his head.

"The aunts wouldn't let me go. Even though they hated having me there, letting me leave would have been worse."

Drew was still confused. "How do you figure?"

Max sighed again, leaning against the wall. "If I'd left, I'd have taken their main source of income." Drew still didn't get it, and Max grimaced. "They got a check every month from the government, so they could feed me and stuff. They pretty much lived off of that. If I left, they would have had to work a real job. And, trust me, that wasn't high on their oh-yeah-let's-do-that list." Max finished on a flat, sour note.

Drew sat back, amazed at the misfortunes that had befallen this poor kid. "So, Max, do you, um, how do you survive?"

Max grinned a bit. "This building we're leaning on? It belonged to my second cousin once removed, I think. He wass a nice middle-aged guy. He understood I needed to be left alone, so he let me live in the basement." Drew raised an eyebrow, but Max read his thoughts. "I know, I know. You're thinking, wow, the basement, not-so-generous guy, right?" Drew nodded slowly. "It's not like that. I prefer it this way; it lets me keep my freedom. Besides," Max rolled his eyes, "his apartment is crammed with junk. The basement is way better. He basically just left me alone, and this way, child services can't force me back to my aunts' place."

Drew's eyebrow was still up. "Actually, I was wondering about the whole past tense thing. Where is this cousin now?"

"He died just a few days ago."

"Oh."

"So, seeing as I have nowhere else to go, I've just stayed out of sight here. He was at the hospital, he'd had a stroke or something. And now I'm just waiting for someone to come to his building going through his stuff, and then I'll get sent back to my aunts." Max looked like he was on the verge of tears, but Drew had no clue how to comfort him.

"Why is it," Max mumbled, his voice shaking slightly, "that every time I find someone who cares about me, they die? Is it some kind of curse, that I'm left alone in this world?"

Drew was at a loss, but Max didn't seem to want an answer. They sat in silence, Drew thinking on all he had just heard.

Max's story had made him appreciate much more than the kid's determination. He realized for the first time how much in his life he took for granted: friends, a place to call home, even parents. _I mean, it's not like they're fabulous parents; in all honesty, they spoil the crap out of me, but at least they're alive. And I'm fairly sure they care._ Drew made a mental note to try and call his parents at the next opportunity.

* * *

The silence was broken by a rumbling noise, and Drew cringed when he realized it came from his own stomach. He remembered suddenly that he hadn't eaten since yesterday at… dinner? Had he even eaten dinner? He grinned sheepishly at Max, then wondered how to solve this latest quandary: eating.

It would be simple to run down the block and grab a burger at McDonald's. He'd be back in five minutes. _But what if May came by in those five minutes? And isn't the point here to stay in one spot? But on the other hand, I can't very well starve myself, can I? What am I going to do?_

And then Drew's eyes fell on Max, and he got an idea. He rummaged in his pockets and found his wallet. Pulling it out, he flicked through the bills and found a twenty. He then turned and held it out to Max.

The boy looked offended beyond belief. "Thanks, but I'm not a charity case," he muttered angrily.

Drew just rolled his eyes. "It's not really for you."

"Huh?"

"You recall how I'm staying right here, right? Well, I have to eat somehow, and I want you to run down to the nearest McDonald's and buy me a cheeseburger, no onions, okay?"

Max raised his eyebrows. "And since when am I your slave?"

"Hey, I haven't finished! As payment, you can buy yourself some food too, okay? This isn't charity; I'm just paying you in food."

Max still looked skeptical. "Okay, but how do you know I'm not just going to run with this money to my drunk parents or whatever? I mean, I could have been lying to you this whole time. What makes you so sure I'll do anything, huh?"

Drew shrugged. "I trust you, that's all."

Max's eyes suddenly stung. _Trust. No one's trusted me since Mom and Dad died. And, well, there wasn't much trust then. I mean, I was only four, it's not like you can give a four-year-old a flamethrower, say 'I trust you, honey', and not have the house burnt down. Okay, that didn't make sense, but wow, he trusts me, just like that? I-I don't know what to-_

A hand suddenly waved in front of Max's bespectacled face. "Hello, earth to Max? You're all spaced out. Max, you there?"

Max mentally shook himself and grinned at Drew. "I won't let you down, Drew. Did you want anything besides an onion-less cheeseburger? Like fries or a Coke?"

Drew grinned. "Wow, good memory. Yeah, you could get me a medium fries and a medium Coke. Oh, and if they've got Coke-with-flavor-in-it, go for that instead. Got it all, or do you want me to write it down?"

Max shook his head. "Nah, I've got it. Okay, I'll go get that. Be right back!"

And with that, Max hurried down the street towards the nearest Mickey D's, brimming with happiness because there was at least one person on this planet who would put their trust in him.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Max could be seen speed-walking back towards Drew, a white paper bag and a cup tray safely in his arms. Panting slightly, he carefully set the food down next to Drew before fishing around in his shorts pocket for the receipt and change. Handing them to Drew, Max hurriedly opened the bag, pulling out a hamburger, a small fries, and a couple napkins. He passed the bag over to Drew and dug in. Drew checked his cheeseburger. No onions. He smiled, and peeled off the pickles before replacing the bun.

"Hey, Drew, you could have told me you didn't like pickles, I would have made them leave 'em off," Max said.

But Drew shook his head. "Well, it's true that I don't like pickles, but for some reason, I don't think the cheese tastes right unless a pickle's been there. It just changes the whole flavor, you know?" Max just shook his head, and Drew sweatdropped. "Okay, I know that sounded really weird, but hey, whatever. What's in the cup, anyways?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, they had two different Coke flavors, so I picked the funkier-sounding one."

"Really, what?"

"Just try it, I want to see if you can tell. Don't worry, Drew," Max said reassuringly as Drew looked warily at his beverage. "I tried it before getting you one. It's really good; in fact, that's what I'm having too."

Drew shrugged, and took a sip. Max was right; it _was_ good. But what did it taste like…

"Lime?"

Max grinned. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Awesome, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

They ate quietly for a while. Max tried to hide it, but Drew could tell her was really enjoying his food. He clearly didn't get that much to eat; he was much too skinny. Drew munched on a fry thoughtfully. _How can I help him? He's proud as heck, so charity won't work at all… He'll want to work for it… Wait, I have it!_

"So, Max," Drew began, taking a sip of Coke Lime to clear his throat. Max looked up, sensing something important was afoot. "I need to ask you a seriously huge… um, well, I guess you could call it a favor, sort of… What I mean to say is-"

He stopped as Max raised a hand. "Let me guess. Since you are honor-bound not to leave this spot, you want me to be your errand boy, is that right?" His eyes were challenging Drew.

Drew met his gaze. "I'll pay you in food, and besides, this way you can pretend to be my brother or whatever in case your family comes." He watched Max, looking for some sign of… anything. "Um, I think it's a good offer, but if you have anything you'd like to add to it… just say so…"

Max thought it over. Drew waited, mentally crossing his fingers. Finally, the younger boy looked up.

"Shake on it, if you're serious." Max then held out his hand. Drew smiled slightly, then shook hands with the kid. And then they sat back down and ate their hamburgers as though nothing much had just happened.

* * *

**Did you like the latest chapter? If yes, there's a green button just waiting for you to click and review! And a special thanks to Arysd, who reviewed both previous chapters! Yea you!  
Carp**


	4. Bandanas and Photographs

**DISCLAIMER: CarpeDiemEveryday does not own Pokemon or "The Man Who Can't Be Moved." If you're hunting down the owners of said intellectual property/franchises/songs, go bother Tajiri and his affiliates or The Script. If you really don't care about this disclaimer, stop reading it and enjoy Chapter 4!

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Chapter Four: Monday: Bandanas and Photographs

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**

"Hey, Drew?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Drew and Max were leaning against the cool brick wall, thinking their own thoughts. Now, Drew shifted, stretching his arms and back without standing up. He shrugged at his younger friend. "Yeah, sure, ask away."

Max twiddled his thumbs, looking a tad nervous. "Well, I was just wondering, so, what's this May person like? I mean, she must be pretty special, if you're doing all of this for her."

Silence. Drew stared at his feet, his expression unreadable. Max wondered if he'd gone too far, asking about May. He was just about ready to apologize and tell Drew to forget it, when Drew moved. He reached inside his shirt pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to Max.

"Here, they're pictures, so you can see what she looks like… and they kind of show her personality, I suppose…" Max unfolded the photo paper. He now saw that he held four pictures from one of those machines you find in malls and similar places; you sit down in the booth, take the pictures, and laugh when they come out. These particular ones were with a girl, who Max guessed would be May, and Drew. _Drew?!?! He doesn't seem like the type who'd do this, but, whatever, maybe this May girl made him do it._ Max now turned his attention to the photographs themselves.

For the first photo, the two were smiling normally, allowing Max to get a good look at May. She had long brown hair wrapped up in a red bandana and wore a matching red shirt, but that's not really what drew Max's attention. He saw, instead, the sheer happiness radiating out of her shining blue eyes. Her bubbly aura, even in a picture, was strong enough to make Max feel like smiling, too. Drew looked pretty happy too, which surprised Max. Sure, Drew had smiled a bit when they were talking, but mostly he had sat in silence, staring expressionlessly across the street. He continued down the pictures.

In the second one, May appeared to be pulling off her bandana. The picture-Drew watched her, evidently confused. Apparently, this was some spur-of-the-moment plan. Moving on to the next picture, May was now tying her bandana around Drew's eyes, making her green-haired friend look even more confused. His mouth was open, and he appeared to be asking May what the heck she was doing. But May was still smiling, so she must have been ignoring him.

Max reached the last photograph, which made him smirk slightly in spite of himself. May had successfully tied the bandana around Drew, and was now kissing the blindfolded (and heavily blushing) boy on the cheek. But, though Drew in the picture was blindfolded and blushing, making it difficult to read his emotions, Max had a sense that May hadn't been the only one having a good time…

He looked up at Drew and noticed that his cheeks were a little pink. "Um, she forced me to do that, by the way."

Max just shrugged. "She seems like a happy person," he commented. Drew nodded, and motioned for his pictures back. Max handed them over and watched as Drew carefully folded them up and returned them to his shirt pocket. _Close to his heart_, Max observed. After that, the two returned to silence.

* * *

On the other side of town, the girl in the pictures was just waking up. May cracked her eyes open, examining the quality of the light streaming through her window. _Way too bright, so I must have overslept. Huh, that almost never happens… _She opened her eyes fully and stretched, yawning and scratching her head. As usual, her fingers brushed her tired red bandana. That bandana had gone through so much, yet it somehow always stayed firmly on her head. _Except for that time when… oh, God! This is the one that was on HIS head, and, and…_

All of the previous day's events came swooping down on her, destroying her morning calm and almost driving her to tears. She found herself incapable of dealing with all her tangled thoughts, because puzzling out her problems would involve THINKING about them, and that was something she was incapable of… May's mind went in circles, trying to divert her thoughts from Drew. She unconsciously attached her confused and angry feelings to her poor bandana, making it temporarily the reason for her misery. Yanking the fabric from her head, she gazed at it once more. Tucked within the crimson folds was her half of the pictures taken in the photo booth that day… Tears burned in the corners of her eyes. _I can't deal with this now. Not now._ Quickly, the brunette balled up the red cloth around the photos and stuffed the sad lump into the back of her sock drawer, far out of sight. She sighed in relief, yet all was not right.

May felt the top of her head ruefully. _It's too weird, not wearing a bandana. Hey, don't I have another one?_ She gazed around her room, looking for a promising piece of cloth, but none appeared. Sighing , May set to ransacking her room.

After a few minutes of fending off dust bunnies under her bed, May unearthed an unused, emerald green bandana. Dusting it off, she sat on her bed, staring at the cloth in her hands. _Now, where did I get this from? Oh, wait, I remember, it was a couple Christmases ago… I'd been home for the holidays, and, hey, wait, it was Brendan who gave this to me! _May smiled as she recalled her childhood friend presenting her with it, grinning. He'd said that it never hurt to change your look every once in a while. May wondered whether she'd actually ever worn it. _No, I was waiting for the red one to get worn out before I put on the new one._ But it had worn out, she remembered now, when she'd been on the road by herself. _And then, whoa, didn't… Drew give me this new one tied around a rose?_

May stood abruptly, shaking out the emerald bandana. Aloud, she said, "Definitely time for a new look." With that, she tied the fresh cloth around her head, then glanced in the mirror. _You know, green isn't usually my color, but I like this. It's time for an update, in any case.

* * *

_

May's mother Caroline walked upstairs slowly, being careful not to tip the precariously balanced pile of clean clothes all over the floor. She never quite understood how her husband managed to get so many shirts dirty in three days. She sighed. _Some mysteries may never be solved…_

When she reached the upper floor, Caroline bustled towards her daughter's room, wondering if May was still asleep. _That's odd; May never sleeps in this late. Maybe something's wrong… I should go check._

Caroline used her laundry basket to bang twice on May's door, saying, "Honey, are you up yet?"

"Yeah, Mom," came the clear reply, telling her mother that yes, her daughter had been awake and was not merely saying such to gain a few minutes' extra sleep.

"Could you open the door, please, May? My arms are full of laundry, and I'm worried I'm going to drop it!" There was a hurried rustling, then May's door opened wide, allowing her mother to scuttle in and drop her laundry on the nearest flat surface (in this case, her dresser), and heave a sigh of relief. "Phew, any longer and I would have had to wash all of that laundry all over again!" Caroline then noticed her daughter was wearing a different bandana, green instead of that red. May saw where her mom was looking and grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, you know, Mom, you can't wear the same thing all the time, right?"

"Um, I guess…" Caroline was puzzled. Green was the one color May ever expressed disdain for. _Although_, she thought to herself, smirking a bit, _that's probably because a certain "friend" of hers has green hair… Ah, young love, I miss it so… _"So, honey, are you changing your look for a 'certain someone'?" May blushed, and her mother actually squealed with delight. "Oh, I knew it! I knew you liked him! Did he ask you out? Oh, to be young again! I remember when your father-"

"Mom, calm down!" May was now nearly as red as the shell on a Pokeball. "Seriously, Brendan's just taking me to a McDonald's! And he said it didn't have to be a date, in any case!"

"Oh, May, of course Dr-" Caroline stopped suddenly. "Wait. Brendan? Really? As in Brendan Birch?"

May nodded, now confused herself. "Yeah, Brendan, our next-door-neighbor. Why, who were you thinking of?"

Caroline thought fast. _Should I bring up Drew? Probably not. _She looked at her daughter and noticed that May's eyes were slightly puffy, as if she'd cried herself to sleep. _Make that definitely not. They've probably had some silly argument, and now she might be trying to make him jealous. Ah well, I won't meddle. For now._

Shaking herself out of her mini-reverie, Caroline forced a smile. "Oh, no one, sweetie. But, really, Brendan finally asked you on a date? I mean, he's clearly had a crush on you since you were little, I remember when-"

May's face turned, if possible, redder. "Mo-om, you're embarrassing me! It's not even really a date! Come on!"

Caroline smirked at her daughter. "Sure, hon. Whatever you say." With that, she scooped up the remaining laundry and sauntered away, humming romantic songs to herself. Once out of earshot, she dropped her cheery, obnoxious attitude as she transitioned to 'concerned-parent' mode. After all, Brendan was two years older than her little girl, even if he didn't act like it. She grimaced. _Oh, Norman's going to scare the heck out of that poor boy… But that's what fathers are for, you know…_ She sighed as memories of her youth came flooding back...

* * *

**Okay, I know this was kind of short, but still, I'm happy with it. A lot of stuff happens everyday, that's why Monday isn't over yet. One more chapter, then (insert drumroll) the wonderful world of Tuesday will be upon us! Huzzah! **

**What will happen next? If you want to know what will happen next, then review! I get all inspired to write the next chapter when I see reviews, so naturally I'm about three chapters ahead! Hope you're happy, but if you aren't, you can review too, and I will try to improve, honest. **

**Until next time,  
Carp  
**


	5. The Old Woman

**DISCLAIMER: I, CarpeDiemEveryday, admit that I own neither Pokemon nor 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'. Owners are Tajiri and The Script, yadda yadda yadda, you all know this already!

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Chapter Five: The Old Woman

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**

The sun was beginning its descent into the hills west of Petalburg. Drew sat alone on the sidewalk, waiting for Max to return with their dinner. Once again, the emerald-haired youth was lost in swirls of thought, reflecting on his every encounter with May, searching with near-desperation for a reason for her to care about him the way he cared about her. There might be evidence of it, he supposed, her blushes whenever they were labeled a couple or when he gave her a rose. Unfortunately, he realized, this could be put down to embarrassment, not love. He sighed, something he seemed to be doing more and more often. _So she blushes once in a while; so do most girls. But she also regularly calls you a grass-headed jerk. It could be love, but it could also be genuine irritation. Well, what if… _

Drew decided he'd had enough thinking for a while, and transitioned to his other hobby out on the streets: people watching. Unfortunately for him, the sidewalks were mostly deserted at the moment, except for a little old woman creeping up his street. Drew was fascinated. She was a perfect replica of the stereotypical 'grannie': Her gait was shuffling, owing to the walker she was pushing. And the walker even had little tennis ball feet! Her outfit fit the bill too: a pastel green dress with a white shawl over her shoulders. The woman's hair was white and wispy and pulled back into a bun, and as a finishing touch, she had teeny glasses perched on her nose. The only aspect of her that did not scream "I'm old" was the Snubbull straining at its leash at her feet. Apparently, the grannie was taking her dog for a walk.

The woman puttered up the street, passing Drew and stopping at the crosswalk. The sign said 'Walk', but she didn't move. Instead, she sighed dramatically. "Oh, I'm so tired and old, and I'm not sure I'll make it across. Oh, if only _someone_ would be so kind as to guide me, I'd be ever so grateful…" She stared expectantly at Drew, who didn't move. _Should I help her?_

Patience was apparently not one of the virtues in the woman's repertoire, for she abruptly huffed and said, sniffily, "Boy, come help me cross the road."

Drew was astonished. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're not doing anything important, so come to my aid, youngster."

"Um, my apologies, madam, but I'm actually waiting for someone, and it's essential that I don't move from here, so, I'm sorry, but-"

"Is this about a girl?" the woman queried, an understanding expression on her old face. Drew nodded, relieved that she wasn't irritated. "Well, figures I get a love-sick whelp to help me."

Drew's eyes widened. "_Excuse me?!?!_"

The old woman snorted, all understanding long gone. "You heard me. You're just another punk with a case of puppy love. Get over it."

Drew was appalled. "How dare you speak to me like that, you dried-up old hag?"

The woman gasped. "I am _affronted!_" she screeched, any likeness to a sweet old grandmother buried under her nastiness. "No one treats me like this and gets away with it! Snubbie, 'sic 'em!"

Drew reacted fast. Whipping out a Pokeball, he yelled, "Roserade, use SolarBeam!" A ball of reddish light burst forth, resolving into the form of his longtime companion. Roserade stepped in front of her master, shielding him from the attacking pink bulldog, and let loose a streak of solar power that sent both dog and old woman blasting off into space (a la Team Rocket). The woman was screaming something like 'vendetta' or 'you'll pay, whippersnapper', Drew couldn't tell.

"Whoa." Max had just walked up with their dinners and had seen Roserade in action. "Your Pokemon are awesome, Drew! Did you see that? That Snubbull was all 'Grrr,' but your Roserade was like 'Boom'! It was amazing!"

Drew grinned at his young friend. "You know what, that reminds me, you haven't met my Pokemon yet. Come out, guys!" he called, tossing up his remaining four Pokeballs. Max oohed appreciatively at the assembled Pokemon, then timidly walked forward. "It's okay, Max. They won't hurt you. Don't hurt him, guys." Max grinned, and was introduced to everyone. He was impressed with Roserade because of her incredible demonstration with the SolarBeam, but he thought Absol and Flygon looked cool too. Drew grinned as he watched Max meet with Masquerain and Butterfree, both of whom seemed eager to please. But when Max turned back to Drew, there was a tiny tinge of disappointment in his eyes. Drew picked up on it at once; a day of people watching had given him a heightened perception of emotion and body language.

"What's up, Max?"

Max looked startled. "Um, it's nothing. Just… I guess I was hoping you'd have some Normal-type Pokemon on your team. Don't get me wrong," he quickly said, waving his arms hurriedly, "your Pokemon are really cool. It's only that I'm a big Normal fan, so, um, yeah."

Drew was intrigued. "Really, why?"

Max shrugged. "Oh, it's just that they're, like, way underrated, and I think they've got so much potential, but what does everyone do? 'Oh, a Normal. Bo-ring.' And I think that's so unfair!"

Drew thought about it. Max made a good point. "You know, you sound a lot like May's dad. He's a huge Normal-type fan too. He's even the Normal-type Gym Leader."

Max stiffened. "Is his name Norman?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Max gasped. "You know Norman? He's my idol! I want to be just like him when I grow up! Oh man, I would love to meet him someday! And he's May's dad? That's so cool!"

Drew smiled. "Come on, our food's getting cold."

Max was distracted from his thoughts by the mention of food. "Yeah, let's eat. Hey, Drew, maybe we can have breakfast food for breakfast tomorrow? I'm not saying no more burgers-"

"Which is good, because I like burgers," Drew interjected.

"Yeah, me too, but I'm just saying I'd like some _real_ breakfast tomorrow morning, you know?"

"Sure thing, Max. You can even pick something. Surprise me."

As they sat down to eat, Drew smiled to himself as he listened to Max's excited chatter. But later that evening, when he was curled snugly in his sleeping bag, Drew promised himself that he would one day introduce Max to his idol, Norman. _After all_, he thought sleepily, _I owe him a lot...

* * *

_**Okay, I know that was way shorter than usual, but the next chapter will make up for that, I promise! So, c'mon everybody, review! I know a lot of you read this, but you don't review?! If you review, I know whether you like my story or not! And, if you review, I can (perhaps) make changes for you or make it better. But you have to tell me, first!**

**Unsure how to review? It's easy. You see that lonely button in the middle of the page, right over some stupid ad? Yeah, the one that says 'Review Story/Chapter'? Yeah, if you click on it, you get to review! Isn't that special?**

**'Kay, see you next time!  
Carp  
**


	6. Breakfasts and Brushes with the Law

**HI! For those of you who perhaps thought I fell off a cliff and died, you are mistaken! I am alive and relatively well (as in, I'm not in a full-body cast). Besides, there is a distinctive lack of cliffs in my area... Or maybe I'm just smart enough not to fall off them. In any case, those of you who check my profile would have known that I had put this story on mini-hiatus so that I could write some more, seeing as I was falling behind. And, as promised to you, here is my update on August 10. See? That's what profiles are for, to give you this important information on updates!**

**And now that I have bored you poor people out of your skin with that explanation, here is the disclaimer:**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". So, if you're attempting to identify me, that eliminates... what, four people? Satoshi Tajiri and the three Irish guys in The Script? Yeah. On with the story, or you'll stop reading!

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**Chapter Six: Tuesday: Breakfasts and Brushes with the Law

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**

_Drew was on a mountain, training with Absol. "Use Razor Wind!" The scythe-like growth on Absol's head glowed, and the white-furred Pokemon let loose a blast of devastating wind. But something had gone amiss, the mountain was crumbling. They had accidentally caused an avalanche! Drew tried to run, but found his legs buried deep in the snow. He reached out a hand, trying to grab hold of his companion, but it was too late. They fell_-

"Morning!"

"AAAAAAH!"

Drew awoke with a start, face moist with cold sweat. Max looked concerned.

"Drew, are you okay? It's just me, or am I that scary?"

Drew took a deep breath, forcing his heart rate to normalize. He grinned ruefully at his young friend. "Nightmare. Happens to the best of us." His attention was drawn to the heavenly aroma drifting from the white paper sack the younger boy was cradling. "Do I smell breakfast?"

Max smiled back. "Yeah. You said 'surprise me', so I got up early and went to Cinnabon." He proffered the bag. "Cinnamon roll?"

Drew accepted one. It was still hot, and tasted the way it smelled. "Mmm, good." He raised an eyebrow at the bespectacled boy. "But you didn't have to get up early, you know."

Max shook his head. "Um, yeah you do, if you want breakfast to taste like that. Food at a breakfast place is freshest when they open."

Drew was intrigued. "How do you know so much?"

Max scuffed his sneaker against the pavement. "Uh, because when money's tight, you buy stuff like that in the afternoon, when it's on sale."

"Oh. Makes sense." Inwardly, Drew smacked himself. _I must look like some rich brat to the poor kid._

As though reading his friend's mind, Max shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Drew. Now come on, these won't taste right cold. Oh, I almost forgot!" Max dug into a larger white bag. "I went to the PokeMart like you asked and got your team some food, too."

Drew mentally hit himself again. _AND I forgot about feeding my Pokemon! Where has my head been?_ He called out his five companions, and everyone settled down to eat.

* * *

Drew and Max were just cleaning up the remains of their meal when a black and white motorcycle cruised to a stop next to them. Seated on the motorcycle was a police officer with teal-colored hair, and her mouth was set in a serious line as she stared down at the two boys, making them quite nervous.

Drew decided to do the talking. "Can we help you, ma'am?" he asked politely.

The officer looked uncomfortable. "Uh, yes, I think you may be able to. You see, we got a call today, from a citizen who wishes to remain anonymous, about some problem over here. Now, what was it she - I mean, they - said?" The officer reached in a pocket, pulling out a small notebook and flipping to an entry. "The caller said that there was a young person who was obstructing pedestrian traffic."

Drew raised his eyebrows. "That's what they said?"

The policewoman grinned a little. "Um, no, actually they said, and I quote, 'there's a snot-nosed brat who's in the way, so move him, why don't ya?' But, you know, that doesn't sound very professional..."

The boys nodded in agreement. The officer looked them up and down. "Hm, well, you two don't seem like trouble, but you can't block the way."

Drew shook his head. "I'm just waiting for someone, I'm not blocking traffic or anything."

Max pulled on his friend's sleeve. "But, Drew, you don't know how long it'll take for May to come! You could be here for- oh!" Max suddenly realized he'd probably said too much and abruptly stopped, waiting for the officer to do something, like order them off the sidewalk.

The officer, however, looked curious. "Huh, what's this? You're waiting for a girl? Oh, tell me, tell me! I love romantic stories! I'm Officer Jenny, by the way." Officer Jenny stared expectantly at Drew, who sighed.

"Hello, Officer Jenny, I'm Drew Hayden. And this is my friend Max. And, well, I guess I can tell you…" Drew once again explained his plan to make May understand he cared about her. The policewoman was fascinated.

"Oh, Drew, that is the most amazingly romantic thing I've ever heard of! I think I might even cry…" Officer Jenny trailed off as she whipped a tissue out of nowhere and dabbed at her eyes. The boys sweatdropped at what they felt was a _vast_ overreaction, but Drew was pleased she thought his plan was a good one, at least romantically speaking.

Once Jenny had control of her emotions, she continued. "Drew, you just stay here and wait for this girl, okay? I'll pull a few strings, so it'll be totally legal, too!"

Drew was stunned. "Thanks, Jenny, but why-"

Jenny stopped him, holding up a hand. "Oh, Drew, didn't I just get done saying this is the most romantic thing I've ever heard of? I wouldn't have it ended with you carted off to jail! That would be ridiculous!" She hopped on her bike. "I'll go right to the station and authorize that for you, and then my shift's over, so I'll come back soon!" With that, the female police officer zoomed off to the police station, leaving the two boys behind her.

"Well, that was, um, nice of her," Max commented.

Drew nodded. "Yeah, it was that."

Together, Drew and Max finished clearing up their breakfast mess. After that was done, they sat back down, waiting for their new acquaintance to return.

* * *

Meanwhile, May was in her room retying her green bandana, just for something to do as she waited for Brendan to come. She finished fixing it, then looked at her reflection in the floor-length mirror affixed to her closet door. Today, May was wearing what she mentally referred to as her 'winter look': She had on a thin long-sleeved black shirt, over which was a red shirt similar to what she'd worn when she was ten and traveling with Ash. She'd swapped her summer biker shorts for dark-washed skinny jeans. She wore tall red boots, in the hopes that it would perhaps snow that day. May examined her outfit critically. _Do I need a scarf? Hm, wonder if the weather's on TV…_

She hurried down the stairs to her living room. There, her mother sat on the couch, folding even more laundry and watching the news. "Mom, why do you always watch the news? It's always so sad!"

Caroline knew perfectly well that her daughter had a deep-rooted hatred for the news. She sighed. "Because, May, even though there are many sad or horrible things reported in the news, there's occasionally something that makes up for that. Something about good things happening to good people." Seeing that the brunette wasn't convinced, the mother grinned. "And other times there's the weather, like right now."

May's attention was diverted to the screen, which displayed the day's forecast for Petalburg. She sighed in disappointment. "Ugh. No snow, _again_. Just cold with a chance of rain." She looked down forlornly at her boots. _Well, if it rains, my feet will stay dry._

And then the doorbell shrilled, making May and Caroline wince. They hated the sound of their doorbell; it reminded one of a hippo stepping on a sleeping cat's tail. May opened the door. There stood Brendan, a half-smile on his face.

"H-hey, you ready to go?" Brendan asked, sounding a little nervous. May nodded, then half-turned back into the house.

"Mom, I'll be back in a bit!" Her mother smiled, and said nothing. May was surprised. "Aren't you going to say something embarrassing?"

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to? Because I certainly-"

"Bye, Mom!" May shut the door and hurried away from her house, Brendan keeping pace with her, grinning. Once they reached the end of their street, May slowed down to catch her breath.

Brendan stopped too. "Y'know, you didn't have to run."

May looked up at him. "What makes you say that?"

Brendan laughed. "Please, I know all your embarrassing stories. I was there, remember?"

"Oh, good point." May paused, then punched him lightly in the arm.

"What was that for?" Brendan asked, puzzled.

May grinned. "Oh, nothing. C'mon, let's go, I'm starving!"

Brendan sweatdropped. _Some things never change..._ But, as he looked at the smiling girl beside him, he mentally added, … _but I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

_

**Oooh, so now they're, like, on a date, and, like, what will, like, happen? Will Drew, like, find out and like, totally freak out? Will Brendan be, like, nice to May? Why am I, like, talking like I'm a Valley Girl?**

**I, like, don't know, but if you want me to, like, stop, then you should, like, totally hit that green button and, like, review! And you should, like, tell me if you, like, _like_ me, like, totally being all Valley-licious! Like, peace out! Like, I totally don't, like, like this! Make it like, stop!!!  
**

**Like, Carp!**

**(P.S. Like, which of Misty's sisters, like, totally annoys you when she's like "like, shoes, like, hair, totally!"? Like, you should totally put that in your review! Like, buh-bye, y'all!)  
**


	7. Dates and Dilemmas

**Okay, so thanks to all you kind souls who reviewed! For whatever reason, I can't read your comments on the site, but I went through them with my magical email powers, and I'm delighted you care. Some people seemed to be entertained by the 'Valley-Carp', others... not so much. Well, luckily for the not-so-muchers, I'm making an executive decision to shelve the Valley side of me until a later date (or it may never return... sniffle. Well, think of it as something we save for special occasions...). And, now that I've bored you/you skipped right past this, I'm just going to be quiet and disclaim. Yeah, sounds good. Oh, wait, quiet. Riiiight.**

**DISCLAIMER: Own Pokemon, I do not. Own 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved" (song version, not story version), I do not. Own McDonald's, I do not. Own Yoda and his awesome backwards-y speech style, I do not. Too lazy to post the owners, I am. Wikipedia, your friend is. NOW READ!

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**Chapter Seven: Tuesday: Dates and Dilemmas

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Max stood in line at the McDonald's, glancing at the piece of paper in his hand. Jenny had come back as promised with an official-looking document, which she had given to Drew. This, she had explained, would permit the two of them to stay on their patch of sidewalk as long as they wanted. Then, her stomach had growled, and Drew had invited her to stay with them and eat lunch. The police officer had been delighted to accept, and had even ripped a page out of her notebook so Max could take down their orders.

So now Max was back at McDonald's, this time ordering three meals. He looked around aimlessly at the other customers. None were very interesting, just a cluster of men and women in suits on their lunch break. He then looked towards the door, which had just opened, admitting a young couple in. They were laughing about something. The boy appeared to have white hair and red eyes. Max wondered if he was an albino, but then he noticed black hair sticking out beneath the white, indicating the boy was wearing a fluffy hat. _Weird…_ Max then shifted his attention to the girl, and froze. _No. Way._

And yet it was. May from the picture. Sure, her outfit was different, and her bandana was green, not red, but it was definitely the same girl Drew was waiting for. _But, but what's she doing with this guy with the weird taste in headgear? Wait, wait, Max, don't jump to conclusions. That guy might not be her boyfriend. Yeah, it could just be her second cousin, coming to visit. But, wait, can't you marry you second cousins-_

"Young man? Young maaaan? Earth to you, kid!" Max was brought back by the irate voice of the cashier. "Kid, if you're not ordering, please step out of line," the woman said, keeping a cheery smile on her face, but not in her voice.

Max forced himself to focus. "Um, no, I'm ordering. Uh, I need…" Max ordered his food, hurriedly paid for it, got the sodas, and headed out, watching the pair of teens out of the corner of his eye. He quick-marched back to where he and Drew were situated, wondering all the while what he ought to do. _Should I tell Drew? Oh, yeah, that'll be a great conversation: "Hey, Drew, looks like you're stuck here forever, May's found a boyfriend! Maybe I'm wrong about this. Maybe, maybe this guy's a FIRST cousin. Yeah, and you can't marry your first cousins, so it's all good, right? Right?

* * *

_

After May and Brendan finished their burgers at McDonald's, they decided to walk around Petalburg for a while and just talk. May was enjoying herself. She hadn't really talked to Brendan much over the past few years, but then again, they'd been busy, he as a Trainer, she as a Coordinator. May remembered the little boy she'd grown up playing with. Now, Brendan had matured, though there was still much of the carefree attitude she recalled from her childhood. So now they walked, telling stories about the silly things that had happened to them on their journeys and basically catching each other up on where their lives had gone.

"So, what's it like being on a break from it all?" May asked her friend.

Brendan shrugged. "It was weird at first, not sleeping in forests and stuff, but you get used to it."

May nodded enthusiastically. "I know exactly what you mean! It took a couple weeks for me to get used to not having to always be _on the road to XYZ City!_" she finished dramatically. "Because, there would be my contests, and then Ash would get all hyper over Gym battles-"

"I know how that feels," Brendan nodded.

"-and then, like that's not enough, Team Rocket would show up every other day-"

"Sorry, I keep interrupting, but who now?" Brendan asked, looking very confused.

May rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's just these crazy people who were all obsessed with Ash's Pikachu. Hey, just imagine if they _did_ capture Pikachu, and they took it to their Boss, and he'd be all, 'Why have you brought me a yellow rat?', and they'd be like, 'No, that's _the_ Pikachu, look, it's special!' Can you imagine how they'd look?" she finished, a little out of breath. Fortunately, Brendan was familiar with May's sense of humor, and grinned.

"Yeah, I mean, I can tell it's a pretty awesome Pikachu, but-" he paused. "Wait, how long did you say they'd been trying to catch this thing?"

May thought for a moment. "Hm, well, Ash ran into them on his second day as a Pokemon Trainer, and he said they've been stalking him ever since. And I met up with him about two years after that…" She started adding on her fingers."Um, well, Ash said they're still following him, so… eight years, give or take?"

Brendan was dumbfounded. "Eight years?"

"Well, yeah, they started when he was ten, I met him when he was twelve, now he's eighteen, so yeah, eight years."

"… And they're still trying?"

May shrugged. "Hey, they're not the brightest bulbs in the box." She then paused. "What were we talking about earlier?"

"Stuff?" Brendan offered.

May grinned. "You're no help."

Just then, a chilly breeze swept down the street, making May shiver and wish she'd worn her scarf. Brendan noticed this. Unzipping his outer jacket, he draped it over the brunette's shoulders. "Am I helpful now?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I suppose," May replied in the same teasing tone, slipping her arms into his jacket. It was quite helpful, despite the fact that the dark, maroon-ish red Brendan favored didn't really go with the bright red May preferred. They lapsed into silence, and May reflected on what a great friend Brendan was. _He's so polite, apologizing when he interrupts. Politeness is such a nice change_-

Unbeknownst to May, the sidewalk ahead jutted upwards, creating a tripping hazard. And, naturally, May tripped over it. The unrelenting sidewalk came rushing up to meet her, and May braced herself for impact-

But she did not hit it. Brendan had caught her hand, saving her from her own klutzy nature. "Still?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. May's talent for falling over and into things had been renowned when they were younger

May grimaced. "Yeah, still." She then noticed that Brendan was still holding her hand. She considered asking him to let go, but then decided it would hurt his feelings. Besides, she didn't really mind, that much. "Um, let's head back. The weather people said it's going to rain, and getting sick is not high on my Christmas to-do list."

Brendan gasped melodramatically. "Then let us hurry, before the evil weather people bring rain down on us!" Giggling like five-year-olds, they hurried down the street back to their neighborhood, still hand in hand.

* * *

Drew was getting impatient. His Cinnabon breakfast had been delicious, sure, but filling? Not particularly. Jenny sensed his agitation and grinned. "Don't worry, I'm sure Max is-"

"Coming!" The young boy called from further up the street, carrying their food and drinks. He came to a stop, panting slightly, and handed out the food.

Officer Jenny flipped open her burger and was impressed to see no pickles, tomatoes, or mustard. "Good work, Max."

Max smiled. "Thanks, but it's really the McDonald's people you should thank. Most of the time, they ignore you when you ask for something to be left off."

"I know!" Jenny agreed wholeheartedly. "And, seriously, what's so difficult about not putting on the pickles? It saves them time!" She looked over at Drew. "What do you think?"

Drew shrugged. "You guys have it right. Let's eat." He picked off the pickles, then bit into his cheeseburger. The others started eating too. They were quiet for a time, focusing on eating. Drew took a huge gulp of his Coke Lime, looked across the street, and nearly spat it out all over his companions.

There was May, standing across the street. She was wearing a different bandana, green instead of red, but it was definitely her. Drew's heart leapt within him. This was his chance. He managed to swallow and was about to call out to her…

And then he noticed she was not alone.

Walking alongside her was a guy who looked familiar. Drew frantically searched his mind until he found the name. _Birch. Yeah, Brendan Birch, her next-door-neighbor. Okay, so why is she walking around with the boy-next-door?_ He watched as they wandered along, talking about who knew what. He then noticed that May was wearing a jacket that didn't appear to fit her at all. In fact, it looked suspiciously like… _His jacket. She's wearing HIS jacket?!?! Has the world gone mad?_

And then May did something so May-like that it made Drew want to laugh and cry at the same time: she tripped over something. Except, she didn't smack into the ground, because Brendan reached out and grabbed her hand. Part of Drew was happy she didn't get hurt, but a larger part of him was angry that it was Brendan who had saved the day. And then…

A little part of the green-haired boy turned cold. Brendan wasn't letting go of her hand, but what was worse was the simple fact that May _let_ him. No fuss. No arguments. No attempts to break free. They just stood there, hand in hand. Then, they ran off down the street, giggling like small children.

Max was wondering whether he ought to mention seeing May with another guy to Drew. He glanced at Drew, followed his eyes, and abruptly decided the announcement was unnecessary.

Jenny, being a girl, sensed a disturbance in Drew's emotions. Glancing first at him, and then at the girl across the street, the teal-haired law enforcer guessed the truth using her female intuition. She stood up, brushing crumbs off her uniform. "Sorry, Drew, but I have to go now. But I'll see you guys later. Nice meeting you!" She hopped on her motorcycle, then paused and tossed him and Max a couple of umbrellas she had stored in the sidecar. "It's going to rain soon, stay dry!" she called before speeding off. She had some important calls to make…

* * *

**And now the story gets interesting... Which is not to say that it wasn't interesting before, it was, but now it's interesting on a whole different level. So, on that _interesting_ note, I beg you, people: REVIEW! This was one of my favorite chapters to write, so I need your feedback! Accounted or just some random person surfing the web, tell me what you think! I mean, seriously, not enough people reviewing can equal a story suicide, which is BAD. Friends don't let friends kill their stories over a short supply of reviews. So review! Not that I'd do something stupid and drastic like that; I love my craft too much! But reviews help...**

**And as a thank-you to all you who reviewed, guess who's going to be in the next chapter! OTHER PEOPLE!!!! Like, Ash and... others (got to leave something surprising!) So I bet that excited all of you, so take out that hyper energy by... you guessed it... R-E-V-I-E-W!**

**Smiles, Carp**

**P.S. Visit my profile and vote in the poll on who you want May to end up! I'm interested to see what my audience is made up of... Thanks from the fish called Carp!  
**


	8. Phone Calls and Friends

**Hello again! First of all, I want to thank all my reviewers. Today we reached 30, everyone! (pops open a Coke in place of champagne) Aah. The sweet and bubbly taste of self-satisfaction. Not vanity, just happiness.  
But I did get one person who didn't log in, and if you're reading this, Anonymous, I have no plans on committing 'story suicide', and I'm sorry that you did. My advice for next time (assuming you ever have a next time) would be to step back from your fic for a four-day weekend and just stop thinking about it. Then, when you sit back down in front of the computer, the words just flow. Or at least that worked for me... Still, thank you for reviewing; I'm using my muse!**

**'Kay, second thing: as I mentioned last time, there is a poll on my profile where you can declare yourself to be on Team Brendan or Team Drew. Cool, huh? Well, please do so, especially HoennShippers, because right now it's 5-0 and not in your favor. Unless only ContestShippers read this... But no, that's not true, I know of at least one person who ought to be on Team Brendan (you know who you are...) So, yeah, that's me done with plugging my poll. For now.**

**Alright, Carp-being-quiet-time starts... now, with the Disclaimer!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", and, like, Valley-Carp would like, like you to know that Pokemon, like, is totally Satoshi Tajiri's brainbaby, and that song, like, belongs with those Irish guys, you know, they're, like, called The Script! And I'm, like, leaving now, because Normal-Carp is being all "You're waaay overdoing it." Oh, and, like, Normal over there would like to mention that she's, like, not a schizophrenic (multiple personality disorder, thinks she's, like, two different people... you get it); this is, like, supposed to be, like, funny! In case you, like, didn't get that! So, like, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Tuesday: Phone Calls and Friends

* * *

**

May and Brendan ran down their street, still laughing. They stopped in-between their houses. May grinned at her friend. "Thanks for lunch, Brendan. I had a lot of fun with you." She turned to go into her own house, but Brendan called to her.

"H-hey, May?" The older boy's dark eyes looked nervous.

"Yeah?" May replied hesitantly, unsure if she knew or liked where this might be going.

"Uh, could we maybe hang out at the park tomorrow, or are you busy?" Inwardly, May sighed in relief. She was still in safe waters. Brendan was still staring at her, a hint of desperation just visible in his red eyes.

May smiled reassuringly at him. "Sure thing, Brendan. And if it rains, we can just sit around in the house or something."

Brendan's shoulders slumped in apparent relief. May was confused by her friend's body language, but knew better than to ask. "Well, see you then. And thank you!" With that, she hurried inside, waving, as the first few droplets of rain began to plummet from the heavens.

Brendan watched her go inside. He waited until the door was closed, then pumped his fist in the air and practically man-skipped over his lawn to his front door. He fumbled in his pocket for his keys and let himself in. Once he was inside, he ran up to his room, kicked off his shoes, and jumped up and down on his poor bed. The springs groaned in protest, but he was too happy to care. Besides, they'd survived plenty of jumping in the past; no reason for that to change now, right?

Once he had calmed down a bit, he lay back, too happy for words. _I did it. I did it! In your face, mysterious 'boyfriend'!_ All throughout their date (yes, it was a date, in his eyes at least, and maybe in May's), he'd wondered whether she had feelings for the guy who'd driven her to tears two days ago. But now, he was sure that she didn't care. Yes, she'd talked about a bunch of guys, and that would have made others nervous, maybe. But Brendan could tell, just from how she talked about them, that she thought of Ash and Brock as the older brothers she'd never had. He wondered if she used the same tone when talking about him. _Sure hope not._

But, then again, why would she? Brendan reflected on all the non-brotherly things that had happened on their little 'outing':

One: He'd bought her lunch. Okay, perhaps someone in an older-brother role could do that, but still…

Two: She'd worn his jacket, and still had it. That was definitely not an older-brother type of action. A brother would have made his sister run faster, or something stupid like that.

Three (his personal favorite): He'd held her hand for about fifteen minutes. Brendan was convinced this was evidence of future seriousness; if her older brother had held her hand for that long, she would have said something about being babied.

So, what did that make him? Not a brother, but not just a friend. _A boyfriend?_ His heart leapt at the thought of attaining his longtime goal, but his head reminded it not to rush things. May would not like that, he decided. So they would spend some time together tomorrow, and he would proceed accordingly. He looked out at the now pouring rain and smiled. _Tomorrow will be a great day, I just know it!

* * *

_

May shut the door and meandered into the kitchen. There she found a note from her mother, which told her that her mother was out running errands and would be back to make dinner. May was grateful; no mother meant no 'date interrogation', which she honestly wasn't mentally prepared for. She heated a bowl of salsa con queso, tossed a handful of tortilla chips in with the cheese sauce, and brought her snack with her up to her room. She set her food on her desk, then caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and grimaced.

She was still wearing Brendan's jacket, and while it was comfortable, it clashed really badly with her shirt. _Even purple would have looked better…_ She slipped out of Brendan's jacket and hung it on her closet's doorknob. She then sat down at her desk and nibbled a chip or two, thinking that the dark red in the coat hanging near her matched Brendan's eyes perfectly…

May jumped, startled out of her reverie, as the phone began ringing. _Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call, phone ca_- "Hello?" May said, punching the green TALK button on her wall phone. The screen lit up, displaying three faces crammed into a phone booth. May grinned. It was her friends Ash, Misty, and Dawn, calling from some Pokemon Center who knows where.

"May, how's it going?" Ash grinned back, his hair as messy as ever under his hat.

"Oh, May, it's so great to see you!" Misty looked equally happy, ocean-colored eyes sparkling under a shock of orange hair.

"Hey, you're wearing a green bandana, what's up with that?" Everyone else sweat-dropped. Trust Dawn to catch any fashion changes.

"Yeah, well, I needed a change, I guess," May replied, trying not to sound like there might have been any other reason. Because, obviously, there wasn't any other reason, right? "So, what's up? Or did you just need to chat with an old friend?"

"We're just calling to finalize the Christmas reunion, remember, May? It's your turn to host, so we just wanted to get it all straight, y'know?" May blinked. She'd completely forgotten, but now it all came back with Misty's words.

For the past few years, May and her friends had held a reunion at each other's houses over the holidays. This allowed them to see each other and to catch each other up on what they were doing. So far, they had gone to Ash's, Misty's, and Dawn's homes, so it was May's turn.

"Oh, all right then. So yeah, Mom and Dad are cool with us hanging in the house over the vacation, and you guys are free to sleep here…" May paused. "Wait a sec… Who exactly is coming?"

Ash thought. "Well, Misty and I will definitely be there." He glanced at the bluenette. "Are you coming, Dawn?"

"What? Why wouldn't Dawn come?" May was shocked. Was there some problem she didn't know about? Was Dawn's grandma dying in a hospital or something equally horrible?

"Um, well, see, the thing is…" Dawn looked strangely nervous about something. "Uh, May, while I've been traveling, I, um, suddenlyrealizedthatPaulisagreatguyandI'mkindasortainlove withhimandisitokayifhecomestoo?"

May stared. "Come again?"

Misty snorted. "She's dating Paul. She wants to bring him. Why, in each case, I don't know. But she just wanted to check that you're cool with that before just showing up with him, see?"

"Oh, uh, I guess." May was surprised. "Is Paul there?"

Dawn started. "Yeah, as a matter of fact (move over guys, Paul, c'mere, May needs to talk to you), yeah, here he is." Paul's head came into view, still purple-haired, still apparently grumpy.

"What do you need, Troublesome's friend?" Dawn shocked May by not freaking out at Paul's not knowing her name. Instead, she just rolled her eyes and let it pass.

"Um, hi Paul, I just wanted to say, you know, that you're totally welcome to come, but you don't have to if you don't want to, so, no pressure from me." Paul just raised his eyebrows.

"Pressure from you is not exactly what I'm worried about, friend of Troublesome," Paul sighed. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, sure thing, Paul," Dawn let him wander off to wherever he'd been, and Ash and Misty came back into view.

"I still can't believe you're going out with him," Ash muttered. Dawn twitched, but said nothing. May guessed this was a topic that was frequently brought up.

"And then, let's see… Hey, Misty, do you know if Tracey's going to come?"

The redhead smirked and shook her head. "Nah, Tracey's decided he'd rather stay at the Cerulean Gym this Christmas." Seeing May's nonplussed expression, Misty further explained. "See, it's Daisy's turn to run the Gym, so he's there to 'help out' any way he can." She sighed. "Poor guy. Daisy totally takes advantage of him."

"What, by having him clean the pool?" May asked.

It was Dawn this time who interjected. "Clean the pool? I visited the Gym one time when he was there, May, and it was ridiculous!" She started imitating Misty's eldest sister. "'Like, Tracey, the sun's, like, totally in my eyes! Can you, like, go turn off the sun for me?'" They all started laughing, mostly because Dawn had imitated Daisy so well.

Once they were composed again, May resumed her mental checklist. "Okay, so no Tracey. Oh, yeah, Gary called the other day, he said he can come, but he wants to bring a friend. Now, that's okay with me, is that okay with you guys?"

"Is it a girl?" Dawn queried.

May nodded, grinning. "Yeah, and apparently not just a _friend_, either. You should have seen his face when he asked whether she could come." She smirked. "It was also kind of sad. He sounded a bit like his old fangirls."

Misty and Dawn looked excited at the prospect of another girl joining their group. "Aw, that's so cute!" Misty squealed, giggling at the thought of Gary Oak being head-over-heels for a girl (after all, it usually went the other way around). "Yeah, her coming is fine by me, what about you, Dawn?"

"Sure, the more the merrier!" Dawn agreed enthusiastically. She then looked over at Ash, who hadn't said anything. "Hey, Ash, what about you?"

The trainer scowled. "I don't see why Gary has to come anyways," he mumbled.

At once, all three girls glared at him. "Oh, get over it!" May said, rolling her eyes. "You guys were rivals, what, six or seven years ago? Let it go!"

"Besides, he's our friend, so you can just deal with that!" Dawn added.

"Or else the mallet will pound you into the ground!" Misty finished, her mallet-swinging hand straying dangerously close to her magical mallet-storage pocket. Ash got the hint and shut up.

"So that's every- whoa, wait, we forgot Kenny and Zoey!" Dawn shouted, embarrassed that she had almost forgotten two of her Coordinator friends. "Who are coming, by the way," she added in a lower voice, realizing that her shout had earned her some weird looks from the other people in the Pokemon Center. There was an awkward silence, finally broken by Ash.

"So, May, are you inviting anyone?" he asked, having noticed that so far, none of her friends from Hoenn or Contests had been mentioned.

"Oh, yeah, well, that's actually sort of like news, I guess. So, here goes." May took a deep breath, and said, "I think I'll probably invite the guy I'm sort-of dati-"

Anything else May might have said was rendered inaudible by the shrieks coming from Misty and Dawn. Poor Ash looked like he had temporary deafness.

"Ohmygosh, I can't believe it took so long!" Misty squealed. "I mean, you've known each other, like, forever!"

"Oh, was it really romantic, how he asked you out? Were there roses? No, wait, he's made those too usual…" Dawn looked ecstatic. "I always thought you two would look so cute together!"

"Wait, wait, wait. I said that we're only sort-of dating. Nothing really official. And besides," May added, looking a little confused, "since when has Brendan given me roses?"

"Well, since al- wait, who now?" Dawn had stopped midsentence, something apparently sinking in.

"Brendan. Brendan Birch. My next-door neighbor," May explained. "Why, who were you thinking of?"

Misty and Dawn exchanged a lightning-fast glance, then looked at Ash, who was opening his mouth. They thought fast and dragged him back away from the camera. May could just hear the hissing of whispers, Ash's slightly louder reply, and then the telltale smack of Misty's infamous mallet. The girls returned to the phone, smiling sweetly. Ash could be seen behind them, apparently seeing stars.

"Oh, no one," they said in unison. May was unconvinced, but she let it go. Maybe she really didn't want to know.

"Okay, wait, where's Brock at?"

The others raised eyebrows, and May sweatdropped. "Flirting with Nurse Joy?"

"Jenny, actually. Nurse Joy already shot him down," Misty explained. "It was kind of disappointing, because me and his Croagunk like to race each other and see who can get to him first, but Joy didn't need our help at all." May smiled fondly as innumerable instances of their friend's failed flirting.

"But, is he coming?"

"Oh, yeah," Dawn said, looking as though she'd just remembered. "Yeah, he said his parents are okay with it, so he'll be there to help cook Christmas dinner."

"Yay!" May grinned. "I haven't tasted Brock's cooking in so long!"

"Neither have I," moaned Ash from his corner, which just earned him another mallet whack from Misty, seeing as Brock had served him lunch not two hours ago.

"So, that's everyone we want there, so no big deal, we've got tons of space," May said, half thinking aloud. "Oh, and Solidad might drop in, so be prepared, because Harley'd probably come with her." They all shuddered at the thought of the man whose two pleasures in life were harassing May and generally creeping the whole wide world out. Although obsession number one, if May had recalled rightly, had lessened as Solidad began to show a faint interest in the Coordinator dressed like a Cacturne… Who knew what Harley's deal was…

"Well, okay then, we have to go, see you really soon, May," Dawn smiled at her, and hung up.

* * *

In the Pokemon Center, Dawn's smile faded as the screen went blank. Now she just looked confused. "I don't get it," she muttered, staring at the silent screen.

Misty nodded. "I know, I don't either. I was so sure she was going to say Drew, and then she whips out this Brendan guy…"

Dawn rested her chin on her hand, thinking.

"Well, I think we should stay out of it." Everyone stared at Ash, who had apparently recovered from the mallet blow.

"Whoa, is it just me, or did that mallet knock some sense into you?" Misty was amazed. Since when did Ash offer sensible advice on anything, let alone girls?

"Well, hanging out with you guys all these years has taught me that much," he said, shrugging. "May obviously doesn't want to talk about it, so let her be. She'll work it out for herself, or she'll come to one of you." And with that, Ash left his female companions and headed towards the Center's cafeteria, muttering something about being starved.

Dawn and Misty sat for a while. Misty was the first to speak. "He's right, we should forget about it. We can talk to May at Christmas."

Just then, the door to the Pokemon Center opened, admitting a seriously depressed-looking Brock. Nurse Joy quickly hid behind that day's newspaper. Behind him, Brock's Croagunk pointed a paw at Misty, as if to say, _Me one, you zero, has-been._

"Oh, shut up," the red-head muttered as she, Dawn, and Brock headed to the cafeteria, Brock moaning about girls who didn't appreciate him and Croagunk smirking victoriously.

* * *

Back in Petalburg, rain was drizzling down. Drew sat leaning against the wall, shielded by the umbrella Jenny had loaned him. Masquerain sat on his lap, reflecting his trainer's emotions in the sad cast of his eyes. Max watched them sit motionless, safe and dry under his own umbrella. He finally mustered his courage and broke the silence.

"Hey, Drew?"

No reaction. Drew just stared out at the rain-washed streets.

"Drew, I-I think that…" The boy paused, almost afraid to say her name. "… that May wasn't as happy today as she was in that picture." Drew remained motionless. His expression was unchanged. Max decided to forge ahead.

"Drew, today she was _happy_, but it just seemed like ordinary happiness, the kind you expect from people. But, when she was with you, I don't know how to explain it, but her eyes just-"

"Seemed to glow." Drew spoke for the first time in hours. "Thank you, Max. I know you just want to help. But, please. I need time to think." And with that, he returned to his expressionless staring contest with the wall across the street. Max understood, and was silent.

* * *

After a while, the rain slackened off. The clouds drifted away, revealing the moon's soft white glow. Masquerain looked up from his master's lap and gazed at the shining orb. _Oh, Beautifly, maybe someday I'll tell you how much I care. But do you care for me too?

* * *

_

At the Maple residence, May was already fast asleep. Her Beautifly fluttered near the window, gazing at the moon. She was thinking of a certain Masquerain, one that belonged to a Coordinator with grassy hair. Beautifly sighed. Normally she would have talked to her master about her feelings, but she understood that now was not the time. Something the grass-haired one had upset May, and now she spent her time with another male. This one baffled Beautifly. His hair appeared to be made of spun moonlight, yet she had seen him remove his hair to reveal ordinary, black strands. The butterfly Pokemon could see that her trainer still cared for the grass-head, but she was attempting to distract her thoughts with the black-and-white haired one. If Beautifly mentioned Masquerain, May would only end up thinking about the other male and would get all worked up all over again.

So Beautifly let it go for the moment, and contented herself with staring at the yellow sphere above, wishing for requited love…

* * *

"Please, would you just listen to me?" Officer Jenny was seated at her home phone terminal, talking to an irritable Guitarist.

"Why should I, Jen? Hm?" The Guitarist asked, staring with tired eyes at the blue-green-haired woman. "I'm exhausted, in case you didn't notice."

"I know you're tired, but just give me five minutes to explain!" Jenny snarled, annoyed at the man. "Oh, and you should listen to me because one, I'm a police officer, and two, I'm your cousin, so if you don't want jailtime or your baby pictures over the Internet-"

The Guitarist looked horrified. "No, wait, Jen, I'm listening!"

"Good," Jenny replied, smirking slightly. "And don't call me Jen. Now, here's my idea…"

* * *

**Man, and I thought that was only kind of long in the original draft! And then I got all inspired yesterday and added something like another page to it. Yeah, but I'm very happy with it. And Valley-Carp is just my sad attempt to insert humor into my author notes. Maybe you find that strange, but isn't it technically equally strange to talk to your characters before and after your chapter? Not dissing those of you who do that (especially the ones who do it _well_), but that's my sad defense for my unfunny funny.**

**Also, just a quick apology to any and all of you anti-IkariShippers; I think it's unlikely but cute, and it gives Ash an opportunity to whine. As for Gary's _SPECIAL_ someone, well, just guess, if that colossal hint didn't give it away...  
**

**So, we add a mysterious Guitarist to our mysterious puddle of a plot! The reason I capitalize "Guitarist" is simply because he's a Guitarist in the sense of the video games. You know, the shirtless guys with the Electric Pokemon? Yeah, just letting you know that that's neither a mistake nor his name. He'd have a name, but according to the Rules, I'm not allowed to say what it is... Ooh, hints if you can connect the dots! Or turn this plot puddle into an ice-sculpture... maybe just if you connect the dots (Wikipedia is your friend...) Ah, but perhaps I've said too much.**

**You know what to do! Review! (Hey, that rhymed! Intentionally!) And now, add to your to-do list stating which team you're on!**

**It might take a little bit longer to post Chapter Nine; after all, this was a long chapter. But not long as in weeks; just maybe a couple days, and perhaps not even that much.**

**Alright, you all have other people's fics to read. Bye now!**

**The Ordinary Carp  
**


	9. Return of the Old Woman

**Yes, I know how I said I wouldn't post anything until tomorrow or whatever, but I had a great day of writing and couldn't resist. (By the way, if you're in the mood for a random and funny fic starring Ash and Misty, go read "A Trip to Washington, DC. They visit the Capitol Building, stupidness ensues... okay, done plugging my other fic...) But seriously, it's been a good day, and why make y'all suffer now? You will have to this weekend, though, because it may take some time. I have a lot of work to do!**

**Oh, and yunadance6, glad that you can sum up my fic in a positive word. Thank you!**

**All righty then, fic-time!**

**DISCLAIMER: Nothing says "I don't own Pokemon or the song 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'" like that just did.

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Chapter Nine: Wednesday: Return of The Old Woman

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**

_Drew was walking through a forest on his way to the next Pokemon Contest, when suddenly the earth gave out from under him, dropping him into a pit. He looked up, disoriented, to see May and Brendan peering down at him._

_"Tough break, grass-boy," Brendan sneered as he draped an arm around the smirking brunette's shoulders. She giggled and drew the crimson-eyed boy in for a kiss. Then, together they hefted shovels and began to bury Drew alive. He tried to escape, but his legs were already encased in soil. He screamed, but no sound came out. Now the dirt was pinning his arms down, covering his mouth, ears, eyes-_

Drew opened his eyes, but the darkness persisted. He was trapped! Clawing at the blackness, he cried out in fear. He was suffocating!

He heard shoes slapping the pavement, and the darkness gave way to the brilliant sun, blinding the green-haired teen. Once his sight returned, Drew sweatdropped when he realized the darkness was due to a large black umbrella, now held by Max, who was watching him with concern in his eyes.

"Sorry, _really_ bad nightmare. Being buried alive, then waking up and it's not any brighter…" Drew trailed off, embarrassed. Max nodded sympathetically.

"Um, breakfast's ready for everyone, unless you're not ready to eat," Max ventured.

Drew grinned. "Okay, yeah, I am a bit hungry." Actually, he was more than just a bit hungry. He'd slept later than usual, due no doubt to the umbrella which had blocked out the sunlight. He forced himself to relax, then called out his Pokemon for their morning meal.

Once breakfast was done, the boys sat against the wall once more, lost in their own thoughts. This silence, however, was broken by a mad cackle.

"Bwahahah, I have you now, brats!" Drew and Max looked up, startled, to see a familiar wrinkled face, contorted with hatred.

"You!" Drew gasped. It was indeed the same old woman who had been harassing him two days previously. But this time, instead of one little Snubbull, the grannie was flanked by four snarling Granbull.

The hag smirked. "Yes, me. It's payback time, whippersnappers!" Her Granbull escorts were foaming at the mouth, clearly excited by the chance to fight something - or someone.

Just as she was about to call out an attack and have the two torn apart, a police car came racing down the street. Officer Jenny jumped out from the passenger side door, whipping Pokeballs from her belt. "Go, Units 2 and 7!"

Out of the baseball-sized capsules sprang two Arcanine, who glared at the old woman's pack of Granbull, who flinched, Intimidated. Meanwhile, Jenny was advancing on the old woman with handcuffs grasped in her gloved hands. The old woman looked terrified and feeble.

"Oh, officer! I'm so glad you've come, these hooligans were about to attack me with these vicious Granbull!" she rasped in a 'look-at-me-I'm-an-innocent-old-lady' voice. However, Jenny slapped the cuffs on her.

"Nice try, but we traced that 'anonymous' call you made yesterday. Not to mention the seventeen _other_ 'tips' we've received through the years. We have some young people in juvie just waiting to speak with you, ma'am."

The old woman dropped her innocent act. "But they're useless punks who won't help me cross the street!" Everyone blinked.

"Um, ma'am, perhaps you should have considered getting a hobby," Jenny observed.

"But that WAS my hobby!" the woman wailed.

"Hah, so you admit it!" the teal-haired officer shouted victoriously.

The old hag looked horrified. "Wait, no, I- wait a sec, you can't do this! You're the cop; you're supposed to read me the Miranda warning!"

But the officer just shook her head, grinning pityingly at the senior citizen. "Ah, but this is the Pokemon universe, there's no such thing, so you just incriminated yourself. Take her away, Uncle Bob!"

Drew looked for the 'Uncle Bob' Jenny was calling to, but then he realized someone must have driven her there; she'd been seated on the passenger side. At that moment, he also noticed a big blue blob sitting in the driver's seat of the squad car. A window rolled down, and with some difficulty an enormously overweight middle-aged man stuck his head out to peer at Jenny.

"Uh, just put her in the back, would ya, 'Fer? Oh, and put those purple monsters in their Pokeballs. Dogs make me sneezy."

Jenny complied, muttering, "My name is Jenny, not 'Fer. I'm not a bleeding Furret coat or whatever," as she unceremoniously forced the hag into the squad car and recalled the still-Intimidated Granbull back into their Pokeballs, which she had taken from the woman's purse. That done, she went over to the driver's side window.

"I'm just going to visit with these two, okay, Uncle Bob? And make sure she-" here Jenny gestured vaguely at the back row of the vehicle, "-doesn't get into trouble."

"Okay then," he mumbled, rolling up the window and cruising away down First. Jenny waved goodbye, then turned to Drew and Max.

"So, yeah, that was my uncle Bob. He's not really a get-out-of-the-car kind of cop, but he's an excellent driver, so he basically has the perfect job, wouldn't you say?"

Drew and Max grinned, imagining Jenny's uncle chasing after criminals on foot. Jenny read their minds and giggled. "Exactly, he's not exactly built for running, now, is he?"

"No, not really…" Max agreed, feeling a little awkward about poking fun at a police officer, but Jenny didn't seem to mind. She walked over to the pair of Arcanine, telling them what good law enforcers they were ("Yes you are, yes you are!").

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met my team," Jenny realized, turning to face the boys. "The bigger one is Seven, and the little one's Two." The two dogs approached Drew and Max, allowing them to say hello. "They've been my best friends since they were Growlithe, you know," Jenny went on. "Brother and sister, fighting crime together…" She smiled dreamily, lost in memories of K-9 law enforcement.

Max glanced at the Pokemon. "Hey, Officer Jenny, why do you call them Two and Seven?"

Jenny snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, uh, because it's their names," she replied in a 'duh' tone.

Drew raised his eyebrows. "So they were just born as Two and Seven?"

Jenny shook her head, this time understanding the question. "Oh, you mean like what are their real names? Well, those got changed when they went into police work, all or K-9 units get numbers, but, hm, I think his name was Agent Perry and she was Fluffy. And, no offense, Two," Jenny added hastily to her teammate, "but 'Fluffy' isn't exactly going to strike fear into the hearts of criminals." The Arcanine appeared to shrug; of course, being on all fours, shrugging was made rather difficult, but she managed.

"Okay, so apart from the dog talk and crazy senior citizens trying to mob us with Granbull, what else are we going to do today?" Max asked the group at large.

Jenny appeared to have suddenly remembered something. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! So, Drew, I was thinking about your whole thing here, and wouldn't it be a good idea if May knew you were here? Just call up the news people, they always love this kind of stuff, set up an interview-"

Drew raised up his hands in protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. News interview? Bad idea, seeing as May refuses to watch the news anyways."

Jenny looked deflated. "What?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah, whenever the news would come on at a Pokemon Center, she'd start ranting on about how there's never anything happy on the news, just people dying and horrible accidents and other awful stuff. So, yeah, she wouldn't see it."

"Hm. She kind of has a good point," murmured Max thoughtfully.

Jenny sighed. "Well, that's one idea down. But there is something else…" The police officer trailed off, suddenly looking nervous. "Um, first of all, Drew, don't get mad."

_Don't get mad,_ Drew thought. _Have you ever noticed how nothing good ever follows that sentence?_

Jenny continued. "Uh, well, you see, Drew, I have this cousin, a Guitarist, and he's in a band and stuff."

"Okay…" Drew said, wondering where this was going. _Don't we all have some cousin who's 'in a band'?_

"And, so, I told him all about your whole staying-here thing, and-"

"YOU DID WHAT?!?!" Drew exclaimed, horrified.

Jenny held up both hands in a please-don't-kill-me way. "And, he wrote a song about it-"

"THERE'S A SONG ABOUT MY LOVE LIFE?!?!?!" Drew shouted, even more horrified. It was bad enough that someone he barely knew had told someone he _didn't_ know about him, but a _song_ about it was ten times worse.

Jenny rushed out her words, trying to finish before Drew did something drastic. "And now it's on the radio, and people really seem to like it!" She waited for Drew to attempt to destroy something, but Drew was too surprised to do much of anything.

"So, um, just thought I'd tell you that, bring you up to speed, you know?" Jenny finished, seeing as Drew was frozen. "Uh, I gotta go and file my report against the crazy old hag, so, bye now!" With that, she hurried off, yelling over her shoulder, "Stay warm!" or something like that.

What Drew didn't know was that, in addition to filing her police report, Officer Jenny also made a call to the local news station, scheduling an interview for Friday. She had a plan, too. Sure, it had to be tweaked, seeing as this May girl wasn't big on watching the news, but she already knew how to make it work. It would only take another subtly-threatening phone call to her cousin, but hey, all's fair in love and war...

* * *

**Ooh-boy, how would YOU feel if YOUR love life became a song - without your knowledge or consent???? And, yes, no duh, that was waaaaay too fast for a song to be written, recorded, edited, produced, and aired on the radio. Yeah, and putting an Onix in a Pokeball is equally likely. So chill, my dears.**

**Couple notes: HoennShipper (yeah, that's right, YOU), don't you dare yell at me about Brendan being evil in this chapter. It's a _nightmare._ Like May would ever bury _anyone_ alive, let alone Drew. It's a nightmare; bad stuff happens in 'em. Real Brendan will stay on the path we discussed...**

**Next, I referenced a children's TV show twice this chapter. It was done kind of subtley, so if anyone guesses it correctly, I'll write their names in bold letters at the beginning of chapter ten in a dedicational kind of way. Special-ness!**

**Finally, let us take this time to think on what we have just read, and, oh, I don't know, review??? Yeah, wouldn't that be just lovely, delightful, et cetera? Answer: You betcha.**

**Bye now,**

**CarpeDiemEveryday (I'm spicing it up today, but then again, I posted two things AND put up an avatar on my profile! Today's been good to me; no reason to fear Thursday the Thirteenth...)  
**


	10. Movies and Major Decisions

**Hey! Sorry for the wait; you would not believe how long it took me to write this chapter. And updates are going to be sluggish from now on, because I no longer have any 'buffer' chapter's I've already completed. But don't think I'm forgetting this fic; heck no. I actually know what's happening, so there's no way I'm not finishing it. So, yeah, that's just a heads-up for all you folks out there. Now let's dive right into chapter... oh, man, I can't believe we're at ten already! But now let's actually read it, why don't we?**

**DISCLAIMER: Nothing has changed in the past few days. That's right, I still don't own Pokemon or the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". They still belong to Satoshi Tajiri and The Script. And, yes, Valley-Carp wanted to make a cameo, but I put my foot down. I can only deal with so much today. So read.  
Wait, wait, wait! You can't read yet! I forgot to disclaim one other thing: Much as I'd love to, I'm not Stan Lee and therefore I don't own Iron Man. Ah, well, I can dream... 'Kay, now you can read! Ready, set, go.

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Chapter Ten: Wednesday: Movies and Major Decisions

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**

May and her mother sat together eating breakfast at the kitchen counter when the phone rang behind them. Neither of them really wanted to get up, so Caroline grabbed a spatula out of a nearby kitchen-utensil and used it to hit the TALK button. The screen flickered to life, displaying her husband and May's father, Norman. He'd been training out in Sinnoh, and was supposed to fly home on his Dodrio that day. He grinned at his family.

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" Norman greeted them. Then he looked a bit puzzled and said, "But, why are you two so far away? Is there something wrong with the camera?"

May shook her head. "No, Dad, we're just eating breakfast and didn't feel like getting up. So, what's up? Did you catch any new Pokemon?"

"Nah, not this time," Norman replied, shrugging. "So, what's new with you?"

Caroline grinned. "Well, I think May has some news-"

"No, I don't! I don't even like the news!" the younger brunette interrupted, blushing heavily. Norman looked confused.

"Oh, honey, don't be shy about it," Caroline continued, smirking evilly. "Norman, our little girl is growing up. She went on a date just yesterday! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yeah that's gr-" Norman started, but then his brain remembered the word _date_. "She WHAT???? With who? Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Oh my God, my baby's growing up so fast! Wait until I get my hands on that punk!" He was half snorting in anger, half hyperventilating, neither of which seemed to be beneficial to his health.

May decided to try and calm her dad down. "Okay, Dad? Yeah, I kind of went on a date. Nothing serious, just a McDonald's. With Brendan Birch, who I've known, like, forever. And I would have told you, except this is the first time I've seen you this month!" She finished, then, as an afterthought, "Besides, Daddy, I thought you _liked_ Brendan. You were kind of pushing for me to date him in the first place, remember?"

"Since when have I been trying to get you to date-" Norman started yelling, but then his brain caught up with him again. "Wait, Brendan, honey? That's… great! I mean, I still kind of wish he was a little younger, and if he does anything to you I'll have Slaking rip him limb from limb, but, seriously, sweetheart, that's… oh, God, I think I'm going to cry!" The Gym Leader sniffled a bit, then put on a happy face. "But, you can tell me more when I get home tomorrow morning!"

"Tomorrow morning?" Caroline interjected. "You said you'd be home by tonight!"

Norman shrugged. "Yeah, I know, dear, but Dodrio's gone through a lot during our training, and Nurse Joy said he isn't fit to fly until this evening, but I promise, we're getting up early tomorrow and we'll be home for breakfast!"

Caroline bit her lip. "You'll be okay?"

Her husband raised his eyebrows. "I've been 'okay' so far, why should that change?"

May smiled at her dad. "Okay, Daddy, see you tomorrow!"

"Bye, you two. Love you lots!" With that, the screen went blank.

Caroline smiled brightly at her daughter. "See, that went great, sweetie! Your father's okay with you growing up!"

May returned her smile, though weakly. "Yeah, I was expecting him to go straight to the limb-ripping, but, like I've said, he's kind of wanted this, since he and the Professor are best friends and all." She stretched, then picked up her plate and took it to the sink. She rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher, then turned to face her mother. "Okay, so I'm going to go get myself ready for the day, all right?"

"Sure thing, dear," the older woman replied, already immersed in her newspaper. May glanced at the headline, and was unsurprised to see that is was nothing good. Something about earthquakes leaving thousands homeless. She sighed. _Like I needed more proof_.

Waving to her mother, she traipsed up the stairs to her bedroom and dressed in her 'winter look'. Then she peered out her window. First, she checked the skies, which were cloud-free. _Good._ Then, she looked towards the house next door at a specific window. Though there were no lights on, she could make out what looked like a wig sitting on a desk. _Therefore, Brendan's not awake, seeing as he never goes anywhere without his hat._ It was true; Brendan rarely even took off his hat, he was that fond of it.

May glanced at her clock. It was a quarter past ten. She raised her eyebrows. _Huh, Brendan's not really a sleeping-in guy-_ Her thoughts were interrupted when his door suddenly opened, light flowing into his room. Brendan hurried in, dressed but with wet hair. He grabbed his hat, glanced out the window, and noticed May. He grinned and waved at her, then ran out of his room again.

_Okay, so he was in the shower, not being lazy,_ May reflected. She wondered, briefly, why that fact didn't spark a thousand dirty thoughts in her brain, but then dismissed it. _Why should it? I'm not that kind of girl._ She instead wondered whether he'd put his hat on his wet hair, and if so, whether he did that every day. _Ew, mildew! I'll have to ask him about that…_ She nodded to herself, grabbed a scarf, and meandered downstairs.

She found the kitchen deserted; presumably, her mother was also getting ready for the day. She scribbled a quick note to her mom, saying that she'd be hanging out with Brendan at least until lunch, then grabbed her scarf and left the house.

May shivered as she stepped outside; the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Rubbing her hands together to increase circulation, she hurried over the frost-coated lawn to Brendan's house. As she speed-walked, May reflected sadly that normally there would be snow on her lawn, not frost. Reaching her friend's door, she jabbed at the doorbell, hoping Brendan wouldn't take too long coming to the door.

Luckily, she didn't have that long to wait. The tall boy opened the door and grinned when he saw May. "What, did you miss me that much?" he teased, adjusting his hat to what he clearly thought was a jaunty angle.

May rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself and let me in. It's freezing out here!"

Brendan looked confused. "I thought we were going to go outside today, look, no clouds!" He pointed at the clear blue heavens.

The brunette shook her head. "Yeah, so? That just means it'll be even colder." Brendan gave up and moved aside, allowing May into his home.

She was familiar with his house, seeing as they had been friends for practically all their lives. As usual, she yanked off her boots and placed them on the edge of the doormat. (This had been one of Mrs. Birch's rules ever since her son at age six had run through the house with mud-encrusted tennis shoes on. After that little incident, Brendan had developed a slight phobia of muddy clothing…) Brendan glanced at her feet and raised his eyebrows. "Nice socks."

"Huh?" May looked at her feet and understood. "Oh, yeah, these. Well, they're warm!" The socks in question were fuzzy and black with lime-green stripes, not really May's style.

Brendan shrugged. "Good point, but aren't you supposed to mock _my_ choice in footwear?"

"Huh?" May repeated, looking at his feet. Then, "What? Where do you even FIND Grumpig slippers?" She couldn't help it, she started laughing.

Brendan grinned. "See, I'm funny!" He wiggled his toes, and May grinned back at him. _He's so… easy to be around. It's refreshing._

Brendan straightened his hat to a more normal perch, then looked awkward. "Soooooo, um… what do you want to do, seeing as the great outdoors are a 'no'?"

May put her hands over her mouth in mock horror. "What, you mean you've forgotten what we _always_ do whenever we're stuck inside?"

Brendan grinned. "Just checking. Movies and popcorn it is." He wandered off in the direction of the kitchen, then paused, pivoting on one slippered foot to look back at the brunette. This did not work perfectly, as Grumpig slippers do not offer much traction, so he wound up having to grab the door frame to regain his balance. May just chuckled. _And he says _I'm_ a klutz!_

"Yes?" she queried.

"Uh, what movie are we watching?" Brendan asked, scratching the back of his neck. "And, please, not a chick flick, okay?"

May pouted. "Aw, you're no fun. But, anyways, I had _Iron Man _in mind, sound good?"

Brendan grinned. "Hm, is it good. Let's see. Um, YES!" He slipped off to get the popcorn. May hoped he wouldn't injure himself. _That's another great thing; being able to agree on things. Hm, maybe…_ Lost in thought, May wandered into the Birch's living room, slotting the appropriate disc into the video player. In no time at all, Brendan was back with a giant bowl of popcorn, flicked off the lights (because it's weird watching movies with the lights on) and began the movie.

* * *

Though her friend didn't know it, May's thoughts were far from the adventures of Tony Stark. Instead, she spent the time trying to make up her mind about the boy seated next to her on the couch. _He's one of my oldest friends, I don't want to mess that up_, one part of her mind objected.

_Yeah, but come on, you can totally tell he likes you, admit it,_ another part of her mind argued. May glanced next to her at Brendan, who was reaching into the popcorn bowl. His hand grazed hers, and he yanked it back.

"Uh, sorry," he muttered. It was difficult to tell by the light coming from the television, but May could all the same make out a blush on her friend's face. _See? He likes you, but he's terrified you'll reject him._

_But, oh, I don't know, I mean, I kind of like him, but, I've never had a boyfriend, and-_

_There's no law that says you have to marry the first guy you ever date. So what's holding you back, huh? You like him, he likes you. Simple, right? Unless, maybe there's someone else, maybe with green hair-_

_NO!_ May thought, horrified as an image of a certain rival of hers came to mind. _No, there's no one else, no reason for me to say no. Okay, I-I'll see. Maybe I'll give this a try…_

"Hey, May?" A hand entered her line of sight, and May looked over at Brendan, who seemed really concerned, concerned enough to pause his favorite movie in the whole wide world_. Would he do that for someone else? _"Are you… okay? You seem all zoned out and stuff, is something wrong?"

May shook her head slightly. "No, I'm okay. Just… thinking about stuff. But, please, go back to the movie, Brendan. This is one of my favorite parts."

He grinned at her. "I know, mine too! I mean, he's all 'yeah, let's start at ten percent, let's see if we can get off the ground', and then WHAM!" They laughed together, then laughed even more watching the actual scene. May smiled as she began to actually watch the movie. _Yes, this is nice. This could work.

* * *

_

When the movie had ended, May rose, stretched, and flicked the lights back on. She followed Brendan into his kitchen and sat at the counter, watching him rinse out the popcorn bowl. There was silence, but it was a much more comfortable one than before. Brendan finally spoke.

"So, um, I noticed you're wearing a new bandana," he observed, speaking over the noise of the water as he scrubbed off the salt.

May had forgotten about the green bandana. "Oh, yeah, well, it was time for a new look, you know?"

"Yeah." Brendan paused, then asked hesitantly, "Is that the one I got you, by any chance?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Oh." He hesitated again. "Are you wearing it for me? Because you really don't have to, I mean, I know that red's really more your color, and-"

"No, no, I actually did want a change, Brendan," May interrupted. "Really."

"Oh."

They were quiet for a time. Brendan finished cleaning out the popcorn bowl and set it on the counter, then sat down next to May. _Say something, May._

"Um, so, Brendan, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, anything." Brendan paused, then added, "Okay, maybe not _anything_, like Girl Stuff or whatever, but outside of that, yeah."

May rolled her eyes. "As if I would talk to _you _about stuff like that. But, anyways…" she trailed off, searching for the right words.

"Yes?"

May took a deep breath. "Um, Brendan, was yesterday… a date?"

She saw him stiffen. _Oh no._ Evidently struggling to keep his voice even, Brendan replied, "Why?"

May bit her lip, unsure what to do. She honestly had no clue what to say. They were silent for a time, but then:

"It was if you wanted it to be."

This was mumbled by Brendan to his pig Pokemon slippers. May straightened, turning to face him. "What?"

Brendan's eyes were fixed on his feet. "It was only a date if you wanted it to be. I'd never force you to do anything like that. You're my friend, I value our friendship more than…" And silence fell once more.

Finally, May spoke up. "Well, it's just that, I don't know. I-I don't want to ruin our friendship either, but… you seem to understand."

Brendan nodded. "But I don't want to push you, if you don't know-"

"Yeah, I know, that's what makes you… who you are." May hesitated, then added, "But, you see, I know I'm not sure, but m-maybe we could find out."

Brendan finally looked at her. "What, like a 'trial date'?"

May shook her head. "We've kind of already done that. No, like, something just a bit more… serious. But only if you-"

"I do want to."

May met his gaze and saw that he did, he truly did. And yet, something felt… well, never mind that. "Um, so what do you have in mind?"

Brendan looked blank. "Huh?"

She sighed. "If we went on a more 'serious' date, what would we do?"

"Oh. Um. Dinner? Somewhere nice?"

May nodded. "Yeah, sounds nice. When?"

Brendan raised his eyebrows. "Hey, why do I have to decide everything?"

May shrugged, smiling. "Well, seeing as you're the one who's asking me out, you're supposed to have the plan."

"Hmph. Fair point. How's Friday?"

"Mmm. I think it's good. Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Brendan suddenly looked apprehensive. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

May raised her eyebrows. "We're still hanging out today, and that includes you coming over for lunch."

"Wh-what?" Brendan stuttered, looking horrified. "I have to meet your mom?"

May lightly punched his arm. "Oh, please. You've known her since you've known me, chill. Besides, she already thinks we're dating."

"She does???"

"Yeah, and when Dad called this morning, she was all 'oh, honey, May went on her first date with a boy', and-"

"Oh my God, your dad thinks we're going out?!?! He's going to kill me!" Brendan hopped off his chair and made a mad dash for the nearest exit. Of course, he forgot his slippers, lost his balance, and fell.

May hurried over to him, trying not to slide around in her fuzzy socks. She held out a hand to help him up, concern showing in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Ow," Brendan mumbled, taking her hand and getting to his feet. "Is Norman going to rip me to pieces though?"

May shook her head, laughing. "Actually, he was planning on it until he heard it was you."

"Oh."

"Yeah, you're special that way. Unless, of course, you 'do something to me', in which case you automatically die." She then noticed he hadn't let go of her hand. Gently, she slipped her hand out. A look of disappointment crossed his face, but then she slipped her _other_ hand into his. "Sorry, more comfortable this way. Now c'mon, I'm starved for lunch!"

Brendan smiled as together they left his house. May smiled too. She was happy. _I want this._

_Don't I?_

_

* * *

_**I'm so glad it's over! I AGONIZED over this whole chapter. I had no clue what I was doing, and yet, reading back on it, I'm reasonably satisfied. And I hope you are too!**

**Okay, for all of you who are unfamiliar with all that is Iron Man, first let me give you my condolences, you have to see the movie before you die. Secondly, Iron Man and Tony Stark are the same person. It's kind of like Marvel's version of Batman, except, well, different of course! Tony is a playboy billionaire genius type of guy, he has a weapons company, gets kidnapped and almost dies. This near-death-experience makes him a better person, and he becomes Iron Man to help save the world.  
Now, as to the scene I referenced, Stark's working on his flying shoes. He's doing all these tests, being methodical and stuff. So he decides he'll start at ten percent power and see if he can achieve liftoff. Heh. He kind of didn't know his own 'strength' and gets blasted into the ceiling. It's all around a great movie, no matter who you are (okay, if you're not allowed to watch PG-13, then it's not for you, but other than that...)**

**So now the plot thickens... some more. And now, once again, I request some reviews from y'all. Reviews equal me knowing how you feel. So g'head and do that, please.**

**See you,**

**CDE**

**P.S. This was dedicated to NotSoSlightlyCrazy, who correctly identified my references to 'Phineas and Ferb' last chapter. Bye for now.  
**


	11. Music

**I'm baaaack! And don't pretend like you didn't miss me, 'cause I know full well you did.**

**So today we're going to do something a little bit different. Before you read this chapter, I want all you lovely people to visit YouTube. There, I want you to listen to both "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" by The Script and "Love, Save the Empty" by Erin McCarley. Actually, watch the music videos; they're remarkably similar (don't pick the acoustic version of "Love"). I ask this of you so that you'll have the songs fresh in your minds for later on in the chapter. Trust me, it fits and stuff; I'm not just sending you on a random YouTube hunt. That comes later...  
By the way, this is my adaptation of this thingy developed by MediaMessiah called musicstory. Mine's different, but hey, credit where credit is due. Which reminds me...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or the songs "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" and "Love, Save the Empty". I also am not a piece of fruit, so therefore I don't own iPods either. Or iHomes, or iTunes, or iAnythings. Sigh. I feel like I own nothing. Well, it's close at any rate...

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Chapter Eleven: Wednesday: Music

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**

May closed her door and flopped on her mattress. She closed her eyes and reflected on how her day had gone.

Caroline had been delighted when May brought Brendan over for lunch. She had served everyone a nice hot bowl of ramen, then had 'conveniently' arranged the seating so that the two teens sat next to each other, evidently hoping this would spark some sort of embarrassed reaction from May. May grinned as she remembered the look on her mother's face when Brendan had mustered the courage midway through the meal to ask if May could go out with him that Friday.

"Oh, y-you asked her?" Caroline had spluttered, choking on a noodle in surprise. When they both nodded, she smirked and continued, "Well, I'm quite all right with it, although I'm not Norman- May's father, that is."

Which had, naturally, led to what May assumed had been a very awkward videophone conversation between her dad and Brendan. Caroline had, rather forcefully, suggested they go fold laundry as Brendan poked the redial button, looking as if it would bite his finger. "Trust me, honey," her mom had explained, "he'll be a lot worse on your poor boyfriend if you're in there." But when they had returned from their impromptu laundry folding excursion, Norman and Brendan seemed quite chummy, though this evaporated as her father noticed them in the camera.

"So, yeah, I was telling - ahem, so, no 'funny business', got it?" Brendan looked confused but nodded. "Good. Because you know what happens if _that_ happens," Norman growled, then, turning a sunny face to his wife and daughter, waved goodbye and switched off.

Soon after that, Brendan left for his house. Caroline 'suggested' that May walk him home.

"Uh, Mom, isn't that a little backwards?" May had objected.

"Just do it!" she'd hissed back, grinning maniacally at her only child.

So May had walked Brendan over the frozen grass to his house. They stood in front of his door, feeling uncomfortable and unsure what to do. May had finally decided for them by pulling her friend - _well, technically boyfriend, I suppose_ - into a quick hug, then jogging back over her lawn. She had felt like a coward then, and turned back to blow him a kiss. He 'caught' it in his hand, smiling softly as he turned into his house.

So that had been her day. May had a boyfriend. _Brendan. My boyfriend. Hm. But is he really? Well, yes and no… I don't know! That's what we'll find out on Friday, I guess…_

Aloud, she said, "I need music. Bad." She rolled on one side and scrabbled around her bedside table until she found a small remote. She pointed it in the general direction of her iHome, pressing PLAY. No response. She sat up, waving the remote around as she depressed the button again and again. Still nothing.

"Stupid machine," she mumbled, getting up with a sigh and crossing to her desk. Then she cringed, realizing that nothing was playing… because her iPod wasn't plugged into its dock. "Oh. Sorry, machine…" She considered hunting for her music player, then shrugged. _Might as well turn on the radio._

She switched the radio function on, and then spent a few minutes hopping from station to station. It seemed to be 'Universal Commercial and DJ Blather Time', neither of which May had any patience for. Finally, she came across one station that sounded as if they were returning to music.

"And now, the latest hit single - LATEST HIT SINGLE - from The Script!" a particularly annoying DJ yelled out over the intro to a fresh song. May rolled her eyes. _Hate that DJ. Why does every sentence - EVERY SENTENCE - need to be half-repeated? It's so obnox… hey, this song is good…_ May's mental rant trailed off as she actually heard the song playing. It was… different, she realized. It struck a chord in her romantic little heart. _Imagine how sweet it would be, to have someone sit outside, just waiting for you._

The song ended, and May found herself sniffling a little bit. The stupid DJ came on again, so May flicked off her iHome, irritated. _Yeah, thanks for shattering the mood, bud. Ugh, wait, what was the band name? Wasn't it something like… The Play, no, the Script, wasn't it?_

May turned to her computer, opening up iTunes and tapping into it 'the script'. And there, at the top of the list, was a song called "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". "Yeah, that's the one," she muttered, punching in her account password and purchasing her song. She then spent the next five minutes hunting for her white iPod. It turned up in the pocket of the jeans she'd worn the day before… in the laundry basket. _Heh. Maybe I should check my pockets more often._ Once she had located her music player, May wasted no time in loading her new song onto it. She grinned looking at her iPod. People said it was clunky (being a 30G Video), but she liked it. And, after all, if it still worked, why bother buying a new one?

Once the transfer was complete, she unplugged the smaller hard drive from her computer and docked it in her matching white iHome. Selecting her new song, May proceeded to listen to it for practically the rest of the afternoon. She tried mixing it in with other music, but in all honesty, she just wanted to listen to it and it alone. So she lay on her bed, letting the music thrum around her.

* * *

The streets were bitterly cold that day. Drew and Max followed Officer Jenny's advice as to staying warm by purchasing hats, scarves, and gloves at a Pokemart (that is to say, Max did; Drew stayed still as per usual.) The afternoon trickled past, with Drew telling Max anecdotes from his traveling days. The younger boy was fascinated by his stories about catching Pokemon and winning contests; he soaked up every word, asking questions all the while.

Jenny dropped by right before Max went off to get dinner, so of course she ordered some food too. She didn't stay long, as her return had reminded Drew of the fact that there was a song about his current situation on the airwaves, possibly at that very moment. That was quite enough to set the green-haired teen into what could be described as an 'aftershock'. Once the police officer had gone, Drew crawled into his sleeping bag for the extra warmth, but also in the hopes that he could be able to sleep and forget that musical mishap.

_Music._ Drew sat up, rummaging in his bag. In all the excitement of meeting new people, seeing May with Brendan, being attacked by a psychopathic senior citizen, and having a song about, who even knew what, seeing as he hadn't heard this new song yet, he'd completely forgotten one source of refuge left to him. His iPod.

Finally, he located it. His was a black fifth-generation Video, which usually earned him strange looks. After all, he was Drew Hayden; he was flush with coin, so to speak, and besides, he was from the technologically advanced LaRousse City. People expected him to have the very latest and greatest in music player tech, but he liked his iPod just the way it was. Besides, those touch-screen models looked like they'd be far too easy to break while on the road.

He pressed the center button, and after a minute, the little device hummed to life. He opened his Playlist menu and scrolled to one called "Mayday".

He bit his lip. He'd had this playlist for years. As a matter of fact, May had almost discovered his feelings through it, back in Johto…

* * *

FLASHBACK

A much younger Drew walked into the Violet City Pokemon Center. He had just barely outrun the rain, and all he wanted to do now was get a room and sleep in a bed for the first time in three days. He could train all he wanted in the morning, when hopefully it wasn't pouring buckets of rain.

He glanced around the lobby. Empty. Except for… _oh, but of course._ There was his rival, stretched out on a couch with her eyes closed. _Good. She's much easier to surprise when she's not even looking._ Then, _wait, why do I care again? Oh, right. For reasons I really don't want to think about._

He crept up around the back of the sofa, then adopted a suitably smug smirk. _Suitably smug smirk, suitably smug smirk… rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Focus._ He cleared his throat as quietly as possible, then leaned over the side of the couch and said, "Huh, figures you'd be snoozing around all day, May."

The brunette cracked open one eye, which widened upon seeing Drew. She straightened, stretching, and replied, "Ugh, I'll have you know this is the first bit of decent rest I've had for the past three days!"

Drew just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to him. He slipped out of his purple jacket and dropped it in her lap. "Watch this for me, 'kay? Or will you be too busy sleeping?" He gave her no time to answer, just turned and left her there. _Good. She won't follow me._

He walked up to the front desk, where Nurse Joy sat, looking tired. "May I help you?" she sighed, stifling a yawn. "Sorry, I've just been up for the past thirty-seven hours. My break starts in twenty minutes."

"Oh. Um, well, I'd like a room for one, and, uh, could you do me a favor?" He whispered his other request, and the nurse glanced over at the couch before slipping him a second key with the one to his room. "Thank you, Nurse," Drew said politely, then headed up the stairs to where the rooms were.

He examined the second key, located the room its number corresponded to, and unlocked the door. Yes, this was the room. He slipped a crimson rose out of his shirt pocket and laid it on the pillow. _There we go._ He left the room, closing the door behind him, and returned to the lobby, leaving the other room key on Nurse Joy's desk. _Now to get my jacket back._

He strolled over to where May sat, and was surprised to see her looking through his iPod. _Huh?_

He tapped her on the shoulder. "Since when did I give you permission to mess with my stuff?" She jumped embarrassed.

"Since when have you had girl anxiety?" May countered. Drew couldn't stop himself from flinching. _How? How does she know? _"What, I was right?" the brunette asked, sounded surprised.

Drew quickly regained his composure enough to scoff. "What gave you that idea, 'I have girl anxiety', yeah right!"

May smiled. "You know, you're really overdoing your defensiveness," she observed conversationally. "It's really obvious you're lying, which is really unnecessary, considering it's just me, and like I'm going to tell anyone."

Drew stared at her for a long moment. "Okay, but what makes you think I have girl anxiety?" he persisted.

May sighed. "Fine, I found your iPod in your pocket and was curious as to what kind of music you listen to, so I checked out your playlists. And this one," here she pointed at "Mayday", "was the only one that seemed to have a remotely creative name. I mean, please, 'Contest Training'? 'I'm Exhausted, Let Me Sleep'? Yeah, so boring. So I looked around and, I dunno, just connected the dots. Mayday's like 'help', right, and this is all angsty relationship stuff, so voila, you have enough girl anxiety that you have a playlist over it."

Drew just stared at her, face blank. It was honestly all he could do to stop himself from facefaulting. Finally, he said, "Sure. Exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, he pulled his iPod out of her hand, grabbed his jacket off her lap, and jogged up the stairs to his room.

END FLASHBACK

* * *

Drew smiled to himself. _Ah, thank the Lord for her density. How did she not figure out this playlist was about how I felt about her? Though she was on the mark about the anxiety part._ He flicked through the playlist. He'd augmented it through the years, adding songs that fit his feelings, and he knew exactly which song he wanted to hear: Love, Save the Empty by Erin McCarley. Yes, perhaps it was considered by some a 'girl' song, but he rather thought that it could be made into a female/male duet, if certain lines were put in a man's range.

He pressed PLAY and hummed along with the male parts of his imaginary duet. The song comforted him in ways that many things hadn't that week. The music flowered around him, calming him and reminding him of his purpose. The song neared its conclusion. "_Lo-ove, save the empty-y, lo-ove, save the empty-y, and save m-_" And then the sound fizzled and died away as the little machine's batteries gave out, leaving Drew alone once again in the cold silence of the night.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long; I was a bit stuck on this, and had an inspiration for a oneshot. I wrote that oneshot, and almost posted it. Then I read it, and remembered that ContestShipping is to be respected, not besmirched with shoddy stuff. But the idea fit much better than a previous one, so I slotted part of it in here. Can you guess? Yes, it's the flashback. But after that scene, the oneshot just went downhill... **

**So now that the curtain has rather dramatically fallen on Day Three, you must overcome your tears/laughter/nonplussment and, hm, what is it I always ask of you? Answer: REVIEWS! We're almost at fifty, everyone! Spread the word and review. Tell me what you think! I honestly want to know!**

**All right, I'm a total broken record. You may go now.**

**Ta-ta, **

**Carp  
**


	12. Yes and No, Maybe So

**Sigh. Sorry for the delay, but I just couldn't find the words, or so I thought. And then I realized that this fic is a bully. It won't let me write anything remotely worth reading until this is done. Though what I'll do then, I don't know... But I won't disappear, I'll just have to be inspired.  
So, once again, I apologize for the delay, but that doesn't mean there won't be delays in the future. Because there will be. I don't want to rush this and destroy what I've been a-building up to all this time. Hopefully you understand. And that's all I've got to say for now. Oh, and thanks to Media for plugging this fic and the poll. 'Kay, now I'm done for real-sies.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon because I'm not Satoshi Tajiri. I don't own the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" because I'm not a script... wait, I mean, I'm not The Script. I do own the sweet-awesome Pikachu artwork that is my avatar, but that's about it.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Thursday: Yes and No, Maybe So

* * *

**

_Drew stood in a blank white… area. It was difficult to tell distances because everything was the same dull shade of white. "Hey, wait, isn't this where I have some sort of weird dream that ends right when everything's going somewhere?"_

_"Perhapssssss…" a sibilant voice hissed._

_"Ah! Who said that?" Drew looked around. No one else was there._

_"Who sssssaid that? Why, the committee who deccccidessss on your dreamsssss, Drew," that same snakelike voice replied, coming from everywhere and nowhere._

_"Okay, weird. So get off your lazy butts and give me something to dream about," Drew shouted. The white emptiness was beginning to disturb him._

_"Ah, but you ssssssee, Drew, or rather, you don't, thissss issss your dream. Your mind doesssssn't know what it wantsssss or fearssssss."_

_"Really?"_

_Drew could swear he heard the voice laughing. "No. It'ssssss jussssst fun to messssss with you."_

_Drew raised an eyebrow. "You have a twisted sense of humor, voice."_

_"Why, yessssss, I do. Thank you for obsssserving that."_

_Drew stood for a time, wondering what he should do. He decided to search his pockets, and found in them a pack of cards. "Hey, voice, want to play Go Fish?"_

_The voice laughed again, a raspy sound that grated on Drew's ears. "Ehehe, no. Thisssss world hassss no placccce for fish."

* * *

_

Drew's eyes opened to see the skies were still dark. He checked his watch; it was around six thirty in the morning. Drew shivered in his sleeping bag. "Well, that wassss strange," he mumbled, then drifted into a dreamless sleep, waking up an hour later with no memory of the white emptiness from before.

* * *

After yet another breakfast, Drew sat in his sleeping bag, unwilling to forsake its warmth. He was glad of the gloves Max had purchased for them both. He considered calling out a Pokemon, perhaps Roserade, to talk with, but then decided against it. Far too cold for a grass Pokemon's liking. He instead sat, lost in thought, staring at the street sign as if the answers to life were written there instead of simple names. Max was by now used to the green-haired Coordinator's introspectiveness and left him alone with his thoughts.

This quiet remained until a familiar motorbike pulled up to the curb. Dismounting, Officer Jenny looked at the two serious-faced boys. "What is this, a funeral?" she jokingly asked.

"Hm, wha-" Both Drew and Max looked up, slightly disoriented.

Jenny was a little weirded out by their out-of-it expressions. "Uh, guys, hi!"

Drew focused. "Oh, hey, Officer."

The policewoman frowned. "Your enthusiasm is killing me, guys. You should be excited!" She jumped up and down a little to demonstrate. Neither of them joined her in her hyperactivity.

Feeling that a question was here expected, Drew asked, "Erm, why exactly should we be excited, Jenny?"

Jenny stopped jumping. "Oh, right, haven't told you. Hahaha…" she trailed off awkwardly. "Okay, so have you heard the song?"

"Huh, song, what song?"

Jenny stared at Drew, as did Max. "You know, _the_ song, the one about you?" Drew's pupils dilated as he remembered. _Oh, right. It's perfectly normal to forget there's a song detailing your love life playing on the radio for the world to hear. Perfectly normal._

"Hm, I'm guessing that you remember now," Jenny continued, displaying a fantastic talent for stating the obvious, "so, anyways, have you heard it yet?"

Drew shook his head. "No, seeing as I don't have a radio."

"Don't have a… oh, gotcha. Well, you'll hear it tomorrow, and see it, at the interview I've arranged for you for tomorrow night!" Jenny exclaimed.

Drew just stared at her. "What? You WHAT?"

"Now, Drew, just let me finish, okay?"

"No, no it is NOT OKAY!!!" Drew yelled, then paused and muttered, "but please continue."

"Uh, okay, well, it's tomorrow, at seven, and they'll come here, no need for you to move, so, yeah. And I'll be here to make sure nothing gets, um, out of hand or anything."

Drew still looked… not happy. "What if I say no, I don't want a news thing?"

Jenny suddenly looked scary. This was clearly the face she put on when dealing with criminals. "I had to listen to my cousin whining about delays, I had to force him to get that song together, he just spent all night slaving over that music video that's going to be premiered along with the interview, and YOU DON'T WANT A NEWS THING? IT'S NOT UP TO YOU, YOU'RE DOING IT, AND THAT'S THAT!"

Drew and Max were terrified. "O-okay, it'll be fine, it's just that, well, like I said, May won't watch the news, so really, what's the point?" He then cowered, fully expecting the amber-eyed officer to begin screaming again. But Jenny had apparently regained her calm, professional demeanor.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Drew. I have a plan." She then tugged her left glove partially off to check her watch. "Oh dangit, I'm late for something. Just thought I'd get you guys in the loop. Well, got to be going, see you tomorrow!" With that, she vamoosed out of there on her motorbike.

"Abrupt as usual," Max muttered. Drew just nodded.

* * *

True to his word, Norman arrived just as May and Caroline were getting their breakfasts together. Both of them ran to hug him, but then they froze. Caroline spoke for both of them. "You need a shower, honey."

Norman frowned. "But, but, I haven't eaten anything, and-"

"You can eat when you don't smell like your Dodrio!"

"Yes, dear…" Norman sighed, climbing the stairs.

"We love you, Daddy!" May called up after him.

Soon enough, Norman was downstairs, eating pancakes with as much enthusiasm as his daughter and telling his family about Sinnoh in between bites. When everyone had finished, Caroline turned to May. "So, sweetheart, do you have any plans today?"

May shrugged. "No, not really."

Her mother grinned. "Do you want to go shopping?" May's eyes lit up at the magic word. "Thought so. Besides, you should have something nice and new to wear on your date tomorrow!"

Norman choked a little on his orange juice, but his wife ignored him. "And I'll give you money, and everything for it, too, hon, so you just go and have fun!"

May jumped up and gave her mom a hug. "Aw, thank you so much! When should I leave?"

"As soon as you like, dear."

"All right, just let me go brush my teeth. Thanks so much, Mom!" The younger brunette dashed off, leaving her parents behind.

Norman cleared his throat, trying to expel the last stinging drops of citrus from his windpipe. "A new outfit? Why, Caroline? And you're letting her go alone, I take it? What if she brings home something… indecent?" He shuddered, fatherly instincts telling him to lock May in the bathroom and keep her away from boys for eternity.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she gathered up the syrup-coated plates. "Oh, relax, Norman. May has excellent judgment. And, as to why, well, I got a new outfit for my first date with you."

Norman stared. "You did? I remember you looked especially nice… I guess it's okay, it's just- just-" Norman cleared his throat again, trying to hold back his emotions. Caroline sighed and set the dishes carefully on the counter, wiped her hands, and went over to her husband.

"It's okay, Norman, she's going to grow up whether you like it or not." She embraced her husband.

"I know," he sighed. "Believe me, I know."

May wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen, saw her parents hugging, and quietly backed out of the room, smiling softly. _I hope I find someone the way Mom found Dad. Maybe…

* * *

_

**Yes, that was rather short; I know. But next chapter will be longer, I promise.  
Hey, all of you who are into clothes, feel free to offer suggestions as to what May should end up buying, outfit-wise. Remember, the plan is to go to dinner somewhere nice. If I use your idea, I'll credit you. Promise!**

**Okay, so now I'm sure you have an opinion on what you've just read. And I'm positive that there's plenty of you who don't review because either you don't think you have anything to say or because you don't have an account. Both excuses are unacceptable: I don't care if you just say 'this is good/boring/awful', just tell me! Review anonymously if you don't have an account, but c'mon, I really need your feedback, everyone. Try. Summon your inner 'review muse'; he or she will be delighted to help you.  
**

**All righty then, Carp out.  
**


	13. SHOPPING!

**Hi, everyone! Sorry this took awhile; I just needed to go shopping to get in the shopping mood to properly write about shopping. And, yes, this does mean that, for a short while, Valley-Carp will be let loose, as this is, like, SO my area of expertise! Like, you all know it! Yay!  
It's spelled 'yea', you ditz.  
Like, you just, like, insulted yourself! And this is like, starting to creep me out, so let's like, get this show on the road!**

**DISCLAIMER: Like, any and all versions of Carp don't, like, own Pokemon or 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' because, like, I'm just not that smart.  
Okay, I'm annoyed by the horrific IQ drop Valley-Carp's causing, so she's going back to wherever she was. Yeah, I don't own any of the aforementioned stuff. And, much as I'd like to disown the Valley-me, she's necessary. So, bummerz, everyone.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Thursday: SHOPPING!

* * *

**

May shivered and wrapped her scarf more firmly around her neck, ignoring the abrasive texture of the wool. _It's either be cold and uncomfortable, or warm and uncomfortable, _she thought as she walked briskly through the streets of Petalburg toward the city's shopping district. _And right now, I prefer warmth._

She glanced up at the sky hopefully, but saw only an expanse of crystal blue. _Ugh, why can't it just snow? At this rate, it'll be a green Christmas. Although, why do they even call them green Christmases? There isn't anything green about them, just dead brown grass. What, is it like how Greenland's actually a frozen wastela-_ "Owww!"

May's train of thought was cut off as she walked straight into a lamppost. "Why does that always happen to me?" the brunette wondered aloud, continuing down the sidewalk while this time keeping a sharp eye out for things she might run into. _Or trip over, don't forget tripping hazards, May,_ she added. _Especially since Brendan isn't here to save you from your own klutziness._ She smiled a little at the memory, and walked on.

* * *

Finally, she reached the shopping district without further injury. May loved the shopping district; the stores were exciting, and music oozed out of hidden speakers, just to enhance the shopping experience.

She wandered about, wondering where she should start the search for some decent date attire. She wasn't even sure what it was she ought to wear. _Hm, well, maybe I should call Brendan. He's the one picking where we're going, so he ought to know the dress code, right?_ She found a wooden bench and sat down, slipping her PokeNav out of her coat pocket. She went down her contacts list with gloved fingers until she found Brendan's number and pressed CALL.

He picked up on the third ring, looking seriously annoyed about something. "For the last time, we don't want any of your- Oh, uh, hi, May, didn't see you, my screen took a second to wake up. Stupid telemarketers, stupid screen…"

"Hey, Brendan, what should I be wearing tomorrow?" May asked.

Brendan shrugged. "Um, I dunno, something… nice?"

May rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that doesn't help. I mean, you could argue that those Grumpig slippers of yours are 'nice', but I don't think you can wear those to wherever I'm going. Like, should I wear a dress?"

Brendan considered the matter. May wasn't sure whether the small screen was malfunctioning, but he appeared to be blushing slightly. "Um, yeah, that would- that would be nice, a dress."

She smiled. "You need to find some synonyms, you know. So, yeah, when are we actually going to- well, wherever we're going?"

Brendan seemed to come back to reality. "Oh, yeah, I called this one place, they said they'll call me back once they figure out whether or not they have room on their reservation list, so, uh, yeah, I'll call you as soon as they call me."

"Okay then, I've got my 'Nav on. See ya."

"Bye." Brendan hung up, and May pocketed her PokeNav. She then walked briskly towards the nearest dress boutique, happy that she at least knew what she was looking for.

* * *

"Are you serious?" May mumbled as she shuffled dejectedly out of -which store was it, number six?- it didn't matter, number far-too-many. "How can I not find a dress?" It wasn't for lack of trying, she noted sourly. She had gone to all the usual dress stores where she'd found the necessary attire for a whole slew of 'fancy' events. But somehow, none of the dresses screamed 'this one'. They were all too fancy, or not fancy enough, or too expensive, or just plain hideous. Sometimes, she'd think she'd found the perfect dress, but it inevitably didn't come in her size.

May sighed as she pushed open the door to yet another store. The bell made an annoying _ping _as it swung inward, and immediately an overly cheerful woman in her mid-thirties swept over to greet the young brunette. "Why _hello_, my name is _Cheryl, _can I _help_ you?" she asked, putting a peculiar emphasis on seemingly random words.

"Erm, yeah, I'm looking for a dress, ma'am, to wear to a first date?" May replied, doing her best to describe the general type of dress she was hunting for.

Cheryl smiled even more widely. "Why of _course_, dear, you've definitely come to the _right_ place. We have an _extensive_ selection of _beautiful_ dresses here. Right this _way_." With that, the saleswoman glided off down the center aisle, with May hurrying along in her wake. They reached a section of the store, and at this point Cheryl spun around sharply, almost causing May to run into her. "So here we _are_. These _appear_ to be the sort of thing you're looking for. _If_ you should need any assistance, do _not_ hesitate to ask. Ta-_ta_!" And she was gone in a swirl of fabric.

"Um, thank you?" May muttered, attention already drawn to the clothing before her. She prowled up and down the aisles, occasionally selecting a dress to try on. Soon enough, her arms were full, but then out of nowhere came Cheryl the saleswoman, who led May to a dressing room, never once losing her perkiness. May found it somewhat irritating, but hid her annoyance under a polite smile.

Once sequestered in the dressing room, May set to work trying on all the dresses she'd picked up. After about fifteen minutes, she'd tried all of them on, but hadn't found anything she'd yet liked. Sighing, she exited the dressing room, handing her reject pile to Cheryl. _Well, it can't hurt to look one more time before I go_, she decided, and returned once more to the area she'd previously visited.

This time, instead of simply running up and down the aisles, May took the time to examine her options more carefully. She checked in between long blocks of similarly-colored dresses, hoping to find one she hadn't seen hidden away in the rows. Just as she was about to give up all hope, May suddenly noticed a rack of dresses tucked away in a corner. She hurried over, and then slowed to a stop.

There, right before her eyes, was what looked like the perfect dress. True, it was black, not really a color May usually enjoyed wearing, but still… In a daze, May searched for her size, and was delighted to find not just one, but three. Apparently this part of the store didn't see much traffic. _Their loss, my gain,_ she thought to herself, marching back to her dressing room, hoping against hope that the dress would fit.

It did. May examined herself in front of the mirror, amazed by her good fortune. The dress was made of black velvet and went down to her knees. It fit her figure up to the chest, where the fabric loosened and bunched for an interesting ripple effect. She pivoted slowly, checking the back. No problems from behind. She then took a deep breath to prepare herself, pulled the tag out from where it was tucked, and read the price.

"Ten dollars?!?! How is this ten bucks?" May was shocked. This dress should have been ten times that, how on earth had she lucked out? Then she remembered how it and its fellows were tucked away in a secluded corner. _Oh, most people must miss it, so the price had to go down. But still, ten bucks, wow… Now this is a dress that would make Drew jealous._

Realizing what she'd just thought, May stiffened, the joy of an awesome bargain crushed under confusion. _Wait, why did I think that? Why would I care if Drew was jealous? Come to think of it, where is Drew? I haven't seen him since we had that argument a while back…_ She paused. _What were we even fighting about? I know it was something stupid, and then he acted like a jerk as usual… Huh, wonder where he is now._ May pictured her rival wandering down a forest path, hands in his pockets, headed towards some other goal.

_Or, more likely, swamped with fangirls,_ May added, smirking. _Though that happens less now, I've noticed. Which is really weird, because he's become way more attractive… from a totally objective standpoint, of course. It's not like I'm going to be irrational and ignore the fact that, yes, he's attractive, unlike SOME I could mention…_

"Let it go, May," she told herself aloud. "It doesn't matter anymore." And with that, she changed back into her street clothes, mind back on the happiness successful shopping brings almost every girl.

* * *

Cheryl rang up her purchase, but seemed irritated for the first time. _Probably because I didn't spend enough, _May realized. _She probably gets paid based on sales. Well, too bad, I have an awesome dress as of now, I have an awesome fancy coat at home to go with it, so now all I need is a pair of awesome shoes! Hm, now look who needs some synonyms? Haha…_

Luckily for May, shoe shopping turned out to be a one-store trip, and she exited with a pair of surprisingly comfortable heels, black to match her dress. Having bought everything, she began to make her way back home, as it was past lunchtime and she was at this point tired and starving.

Suddenly, her PokeNav began to ring, a sound muffled by the Swablu down in her jacket. May's hands were full, but she didn't want to miss her call, so she staggered towards the same bench from before, deposited her 'spoils of war', fumbled in her pocket for her PokeNav, and picked up the call just before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Oh, good, I thought you weren't going to pick up." Brendan grinned at her from the small display. "I got the time, May."

"The ti- Oh, the time? Really, when?"

"Uh, seven forty-five is our reservation, but it's a bit of a way's away, so I'll be there around… seven? Except, I might be a little late, there's a family reunion right before it, but I should be able to get away early."

"Oh, okay, sounds great, Brendan. All right, I'll be ready by seven then. I'm so happy, I went shopping and got the perfect dress for this!"

"Really? Cool, can't wait to see it. And you. Um, that wasn't meant to sound weird, or anything, it just came out…" Brendan trailed off, looking embarrassed.

May smiled reassuringly at him. "Nah, it's fine. Can't wait to see you either. So , where exactly are we goin- oh!" May cut herself off as the music coming from the hidden speakers suddenly shifted to a new song, one that the brunette was by now quite familiar with. "Ohmygosh, it's 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'!" she squealed, nearly deafening Brendan and eliciting a few strange looks from passersby.

"The who now?" Brendan wondered, looking puzzled.

"Oh, just listen!" May, still squealing, held her PokeNav aloft so that Brendan could hopefully hear the music too. Brendan couldn't hear anything and only saw a random patch of cloudless sky. As for May, the weird looks quadrupled as onlookers saw a teenager waving her PokeNav high in the air, squealing.

"Maybe she's trying to get better reception?" one of them muttered, puzzled.

May stopped squealing as she heard Brendan saying something. Bringing the screen back to eye level, she asked, "What, did you like it?"

"One, I couldn't hear anything, sorry. And, two, please don't wave the screen, it's like falling off a cliff when you do that."

"Oh, oops." May grinned apologetically at her boyfriend (_Weird, I feel weird saying the 'boy' part, but that's probably normal when you start a relationship.)_ "So, anyways, see you tomorrow, at seven?"

"Yeah, see you then. Bye."

"Bye!" May terminated the call, then shouldered her purchases once more and continued homewards, humming The Script's single under her breath. Nothing could bring down her good mood, not even the dark clouds that were beginning to edge the horizon, surely bringing rain with them. No, not even the weather could bring her down. _All is right in the world. YEA!

* * *

_

**Wow, thirteen chapters done? I'm frankly amazed I got this far. And it's mostly thanks to all my fabulous reviewers. You guys encourage me to sit down, stop playing endless games of Spider Solitaire, and write this thing. Which does remind me...**

**Credit where credit is due, everyone. Thank you to Astrum48, hitsugaya16, and the newly rechristened PikaForce for suggesting outfits. I considered using a combination of Pika's and hitsu's ideas, but then I was going through my closet and came upon this dress. I'd bought it for a dance which, sadly, I ended up unable to attend. I've never worn that dress. It hangs sadly in the back of my closet, wishing there were an occasion for it to be worn. This chapter is practically dedicated to it, especially since it's awesome (and, yes, I really did get it for ten bucks).**

**Okay, you all know the drill: reviews equal bonus happiness and incentive to write the next chapter sooner. Hopefully you were satisfied, but even if you weren't, perhaps _especially_ if you weren't, then use the Review button of magical magic. Do that, will ya?**

**Yeah, I'm out of things to say. Valley-Carp would say goodbye, but I really don't have the patience for idiocy at present. Peace out.  
**


	14. Silence and Truth

**I'm back, and let me tell you, this chapter gave me trouble like none before. I seriously considered scrapping it altogether and moving on, and yet I felt it was necessary. So I struggled on and got pretty much nowhere. In fact, pretty much everything else was refusing to come out right, so I couldn't really work on anything else, either. Frustrating, to be sure. But I'm back on track and owe MediaMessiah an XXL thank-you for getting me there. Thanks so much!  
Okay, so even though Media helped me out, this chapter is still way short by my standards. Sorry, but anything more seemed superfluous. Just a heads-up, everyone.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, that's all Satoshi Tajiri's doing. I also don't own the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", that's The Script's. And also, frankly, I don't even own half this chapter's plot, as Media gave me a few suggestions. Yeah, credit where credit be due, children. Now go read and be happy (or unhappy, whichever...)

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Chapter Fourteen: Thursday: Silence and Truth  


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**

Night had fallen long ago. The moon continued along its celestial path, shrinking with each passing day. Max was sound asleep, but Drew was unable to follow suit. He lay in his sleeping bag, staring at the sky above, feeling numb. Actually, numb was the wrong word. But what was the right word? He didn't know, but it didn't really matter. It wasn't as if knowing exactly what he was feeling would change anything. Being able to name the silence wouldn't make it go away, any more than simply saying 'sorry' would make May accept his apology.

_There's nothing. Nothing. And there's so much nothing, I can't even comprehend it. I-I don't know anymore, I don't understand any of this anymore, it's all fading away from me… Why am I here? What else is there? I feel like I once knew, but now, it's all a blur._

Drew's eyes drifted in and out of focus, causing the stars in the sky to wink in and out of sight. Only the moon stayed always visible, a pale crescent hanging in the sky like a forgotten scrap of paper.

The green haired teen shifted his gaze to the wall next to him, following the dark outline to the rooftop. There he saw his Masquerain perched balanced on his rhombi-wings, a shadow amongst shadows. _Maybe Masquerain understands this feeling better than I do._ The small Pokemon twitched his large antennae every so often, picking up slight changes in the environment, but otherwise he sat still as stone, gazing up at the moon as he always did.

Yes, Masquerain would understand, Drew was sure of it. He sighed. "What do I do? What can I do?" he said softly. Too softly. Masquerain remained immobile and impassive.

Drew tried again. "What should I do? What is there to do? Why won't this just end? ANSWER ME!" Drew hadn't meant to shout, but all the confusion of the silence within him had only served to anger him.

But he had gained Masquerain's attention. Pivoting with a sudden, flickering motion, the Eyeball Pokemon drifted down to a point roughly four feet above Drew's head. The Coordinator glared at his companion. "What is the use in all of this? I don't even understand anything anymore! It's all faded, and I feel like I used to know the answers, but now I can't, I can't-"

His words failed him, and he was reduced to silently staring at the moon, breath coming in steady clouds of crystallized mist. His Masquerain imitated him, and they stayed frozen thus for a stretch of time, bound in silence by the misery of ignorance.

The silent vigil was broken by Masquerain, who fluttered down to Drew's eye level. "Masqer rerain ra-in, masq." _Just tell her the truth, Drew._

Drew stared at his Masquerain. "That's it? 'Tell her the truth'? How easy do you think that even is?"

The Pokemon stared back at his master, expression unfathomable. "Querain rain, ma rain squer rain masquerain." _It is not easy, but inactivity will destroy you from the inside out._ With that, he turned and fluttered up and away from Drew, presumably back to his perch. He never made it, though, for Drew recalled him into his Pokeball. As his Pokemon dissolved into a streak of red lightning, Drew pondered over his words.

_Inactivity will destroy me from the inside out…_ Even Drew could see the truth in Masquerain's warning. This empty numbness was sapping his willpower, rotting him from his core, slowly removing any and all reasons for existence. He gazed at the Pokeball clenched in his fist, the faintest trace of a smile visible on his face.

_You're right,_ he said silently to his friend. _And I will tell her the truth, tomorrow, in the interview, and it doesn't matter if she never sees it or if she does, because I'll know I've said what I've said, and nothing can ever take it back._

After that resolution, the green head went limp, and Drew fell into a deep sleep, Masquerain's Pokeball still in his hand.

* * *

**I know, short, right? But I think it provides an important insight into precisely how much Drew actually cares. But, I'm sure you have your own opinions about this past chapter, and I encourage you to offer them up via the Review button. Really, I want your thoughts, because they give me a decent impression on how my audience is taking this. So type up a review, people. Even if it's only one sentence; novels not required.**

**Well, see you when I see you,  
Carp**


	15. Many Questions, Some Answers

**Good day to you, fine readers. Unless, of course, it's nighttime, but 'Goodnight to you, fine readers' is really more of an ending. But this is besides the point. I just wanted to take the time to recognize a few important landmarks in this fic's history:**  
**For starters, we are at 80 reviews. Eighty reviews. Either way you write it, it's still a big number, and I want to thank each and every one of you who bothers to write something down, no matter how small. It makes me feel proud to have written this and encourages me to try and work on it, even when I don't think I'm in the mood.  
Also, I would like to thank hitsugaya16 for adding the fic to her C2. That is so awesome, you have no idea. Yea you!**

**Okay, okay, enough mushy stuff. I know full well you just want to read the new chapter. So go ahead!**

**DISCLAIMER: I can't honestly say I own Pokemon or the song 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved." Satoshi Tajiri and The Script can, respectively, claim ownership, but I'm not them. Simple, really.**

**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Friday: Many Questions, Some Answers

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**

The day passed in a blur for Drew, as people strode past, arguing as they set up for the interview. In what seemed like no time at all, the sun was sinking down into the trees, and the interview began. Drew tried to listen to the song as it was played over the news station, but his mind refused to focus. All too soon, it was his turn to speak. But his mouth was on autopilot, and he had no clear idea of what he had said. Then it was over, and he was left to himself once more.

Time seemed to flow faster after that day, or perhaps since every day was the same, time no longer mattered much to Drew. He stayed there every day, watching and waiting. Watching and waiting. But nothing happened, not until that one day, the day when everything shifted back into sharper focus.

Drew sat as usual on the corner, waiting for Max to come back with his lunch. He sat leaning against the brick wall, wondering why Max was so much taller than him after only three days, when a little girl ran laughing up his sidewalk towards him. He glanced over at her, disinterested, then did a double take. That hair… it was exactly like May's. She was, in fact, May in miniature. He smiled to himself. _May must have a little sister_, he thought. The girl stopped, panting, near him.

Drew then heard hurried steps clattering up the sidewalk. A woman in her twenties came into view, chasing after May's little sister. She caught up to the child and grabbed her hand, scolding her. "Now, Brenda, how many times have your father and I told you not to go running off like that! You could get hurt, or worse…" The woman trailed off, glaring at Drew as if he was slime.

"Sorry, Mommy," the little girl mumbled. But as her mother guided her away, Drew saw the child's eyes. Not sapphires. Dark red.

And then Drew realized the truth of the matter_. That's not May's sister, that's her… But with… But, wait, that's not possible, she's still sixteen, I'm still sixteen!_ Drew stared at his hands, to reassure himself that he was still young, but was horrified to see old, liver-spotted hands. He tried to stand, but a sharp pain coursed through his heart, and he fell back-

* * *

_Drew opened his eyes to pure white space. The blankness was so complete that he could not tell sky from ground. Just then, he heard a faint sound, like autumn leaves drifting across a concrete sidewalk. He looked around to find a Seviper looming over him, hissing dangerously. He backed away, aware that the Pokemon could kill him with either a bite or a slash with the poisonous blade attached to its tail._

_The Seviper hissed, its tongue flicking past blood red fangs. "That wasssss for that little joke about the Zangoosssssssse!" it snarled, somehow in human language rather than in its Pokemon dialect._

_Drew stared, afraid to move or speak, but at the same time utterly confused. "What about a Zangoose? And who are you? How can you talk like we humans do?"_

_The Seviper reared back, causing Drew to cower in fear. It did not, however, strike him. Instead, the snake Pokemon appeared to be smacking itself in the head with the flat of its tail-blade. "Every -ssssingle - sssstupid - night - we go through - thisssss!" it snarled, punctuating its speech with a whack._

_Drew was past confusion at this point. "Explain what? What's going on?"_

_The snake turned its attention back to the Coordinator, rolling its eyes in exasperation, or perhaps from confusion; it had, after all, suffered a few whacks in the head. "Jussst go back to ssssleep. Forget you were here. And a warning for you: You really shouldn't play 'Made You Look' with Ssssseviperssss."_

_Drew opened his mouth, probably to ask another question, but the scene around him was already fading out into darkness, a peaceful void where sounds were extinguished and dreamless sleep prevailed against one's consciousness…

* * *

_

Max, as usual, got up early to get breakfast for himself, Drew, and the Pokemon. He glanced over at his green-haired friend, who was, as usual, still asleep. What was _unusual_ was Drew's expression. Instead of fear or pain, he looked… calm, untroubled.

"Huh, weird," Max muttered as he set off towards the PokeMart. "I would have thought all the stress from having the interview tomorrow would have given him nightmares. After all, he seems to have lousy dreams under normal circumstances, so maybe he gets calm under pressure. I dunno, but if it was me, I'd've probably had some awful dream about May marrying Brendan and… wait, who am I talking to?"

Max stopped his rambling and blushed as he realized he was talking to himself. He hurried on to buy breakfast, grateful that no one was outside to watch the crazy kid talking to no one.

* * *

"Hey, hey Drew, get up, breakfast time, c'mon!"

"Uuungh… five more minutes?" But Drew was sitting up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes even as he said it. He accepted a fresh cinnamon roll from Max and let out his Pokemon so that they could also eat. They breakfasted in silence. When Drew had finished his food and was licking the icing off his fingertips, Max cleared his throat.

"Uh, wow, Drew, you seem really calm, you know?"

Drew shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Max stared at him. "I dunno, if I was going on the news tonight, I'd be nervous… Drew?" Max trailed off as he saw Drew's spine stiffen. "Drew? Drew, don't - I didn't - I wasn't trying to send you into shock or anything! Drew? Drew!"

Drew's stance softened slightly. "Don't worry, Max, I'm okay," he said in a strange voice, somewhere between dazed and flat. "I'm great, actually," he muttered, remembering his discussion with his Masquerain the night before.

Max still looked concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?" he persisted.

Drew looked up, a half smile on his face. "Yeah, trust me, I'm fine. I'm okay with the interview now, and I know what I'm going to say, so… yeah." Drew called back his now-fed Pokemon, and the two boys sat in a comfortable silence.

After a while, Max decided to resume conversation. "So… what are you going to say? On the interview, I mean?"

Drew thought for a moment. "Huh, I hadn't really thought about it that much, you know? Um, well, I guess I'll just, um, say whatever, or something."

"Oh, okay."

"Yeah, I mean, they'll probably ask some questions, and I'll answer them, and apart from that, uh, well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Max looked impressed. "Wow, you really do handle pressure well."

"Coordinators kind of have to, if you want to do well in Contests. I mean, if you walk out there as a nervous wreck for your appeal, then your Pokemon will come off nervous with you, and that'll definitely hurt your score. No, you just have to walk out there standing tall and confident, and your Pokemon will reflect that confidence in their performance. Do you understand?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah, so basically what you're saying is, you're going to put your Contest face on for the interview?"

Drew blinked. "Um, that's an interesting turn of phrase, but, yeah, pretty much."

"How do you turn a phrase?" Max inquired, straight-faced.

Drew studied the younger boy's expression. "Was that a joke?"

Max shrugged. "Depends on whether deadpan humor is funny."

"True," the older boy half-chuckled. "You have an excellent poker face, by the way."

"Why thank you, I try." Max replied graciously. "So, Drew, do you know when the TV people are coming?"

Drew was about to answer when a familiar motorcycle came down the street towards them. "No, but she probably does," he said, nodding at Officer Jenny, who had just pulled up to them.

"Hi, guys!" she gushed, waving as she got off her bike.

"Hey, Officer Jenny, when are the people coming?" Drew asked.

The policewoman rolled her eyes. "They weren't really specific, but I wasn't going to just abandon you with a bunch of crazy camera people! So today my job is crowd control, or should I say, crew control!" She chuckled a little at her pun. No one joined her, probably because it just wasn't that _punny_. "Uh, heh, so, yeah, they should probably be here after one or so, but I'll stay here anyways. That all right?" The two boys nodded. "Excellent!"

Drew raised his hand, and Jenny raised her eyebrows. "I'm not a teacher, go ahead and talk."

The green-haired teen scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward. "Um, Jenny, I'm really grateful for all of this, really I am, but I just keep wondering, you know, why you're doing this. You don't have to, but you still are. Why are you helping me?"

Jenny blinked her amber-colored eyes. "Oh, well, it's just that, it's really sweet, what you're trying to do, and quite frankly any girl would be lucky to have a guy care that much about her." She sighed, a hint of sadness flickering across her face. "I've never found anyone who cared that much about me, and I've already said I'm a sucker for romance, so, I mean, why not help you? Spread the love, man!" She finished in a sort of 'hippie' pose, which made both Max and Drew laugh in spite of themselves.

"All right, I was just curious. Sorry to poke into your own personal life," Drew began, but Jenny waved off his apology.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just happy to help you guys out." She paused for a moment, then asked, "When's lunch?"

"Not for a while, we just ate breakfast."

"Oh." The officer looked around her. "So, now what do we do?"

Max gestured vaguely at the sidewalk, or perhaps the city in general. "We just sit. Sometimes we talk. Do whatever. Right now seems to be a 'sit quietly', so… yeah."

The teal-haired woman shrugged. "Works for me," she said, sitting down next to Max and leaning against the brick wall. And there they remained quietly for a time.

* * *

**Yes, that was chapter fifteen. We are reaching the end, everyone; it's in sight. Updates are still slow, but I take pride in my work. I like to make sure things make sense, at least to me... Speaking of things making sense, I'm sorry if for some reason you don't understand the beginning of this chapter. I would explain it, but it's kind of like a joke; the meaning gets lost in translation. **

**If you're still perplexed, guess what? You can review! Veteran reviewers of my stories will tell you that I try to reply to everyone (if I ever missed you, I'm reallyreallyreally sorry!), answering questions and the like. So that's just another reason for all of you to review (eek! Too many rhymes!)**

**Okay, okay, I'm done for now. See you next time, as we inch closer to... dun dun duuun... _the climax_! Get excited, everyone!**

**From Carp  
**


	16. Be Prepared

**Hey there! Wow, this chapter is out way sooner than I expected, but hey, why make y'all wait? That would be mean. Although, next chapter will take longer to write, as I'm going out of town for a bit. Just a heads-up for everyone. Thank you as always for the reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or the song "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". As usual, they belong to Satoshi Tajiri and The Script. What's _un_usual about today is that I have a _third_ thing to disclaim. Sadly, I don't own the epic musical _Wicked_. I think that honor goes to Gregory Macguire, but I could be wrong. He wrote the book in any case. So, yeah.

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Chapter Sixteen: Friday: Be Prepared

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**

The setup crew arrived at the corner of First and Maple around six o' clock that evening. With them inevitably came gawkers, who were either curious as to the presence of news trucks in the area, or just wanted to see if they could get on TV. Officer Jenny had to block off the street so that the crew could set up without worrying about tripping over inquisitive bystanders.

Once the camera crew had finished arranging the lights, the reporter herself descended from the van. She shuddered dramatically, zipping up her navy coat and rubbing her hands together. "Ugh, so cold," she muttered, pulling a pair of leather gloves out of her pocket. She glanced up at the sky, which had become thick with dark and ominous clouds as the day wore on. "What idiot would willingly stay out in this?" she asked the street at large.

Drew raised a hand, eyes cold and challenging. "I would," he answered.

The reporter noticed him for the first time. "Oh, _hello_ there, you must be the one we're interviewing. I'm Gabby, but I'm sure you already knew that." She held out a gloved hand, rather in the way a queen would. Drew wondered if she expected him to kiss it, but decided to go for an ordinary handshake. He reached out his own hand politely in return, but Gabby snatched hers back at the last moment.

"No, no touching, I can't afford to get sick. Imagine if I got a cold, ugh, that would be the end of the world! My nose would be all red, my voice all nasal, my career would be ruined!" Drew pulled his hand back, offended. Gabby walked nearer, then froze. "Ugh, _what_ is that smell? How can you _live_ like this? No, I refuse to interview anyone in this condition. You have to take a shower."

Drew stared at her. But before he could say anything, the cameraman cut in. "Hey, Gabby, didn't you pay attention to any of this? The dude isn't supposed to be moving to take showers and stuff; he's waiting for his girl. Besides," he added quickly, before Gabby could interrupt, "don't you think it'll look kind of faked if we're interviewing this guy who's been out on the streets, yet is squeaky clean and presentable and stuff? Isn't this about reality?"

The reporter frowned, hands on her hips. "Yeah, that's what makeup is for, hello! We make him take a shower, then we rub gunk in his hair and face, and hey presto! He looks like a street rat to the viewers, but I don't have to deal with the smell! Think of my nose, Ty! Think of my nose!"

"Okay, that has to be the stupidest thing you've ever said, Gabby, and that's saying a lot!" Ty retorted, speedily losing his composure. "When do you think we even have time for all of this? We're on in half an hour!"

"Oh, please, a good makeup person can fix him up in ten minutes. He can just take a quick shower, never mind drying his hair, then slap on the goo and we're ready to roll!" Gabby explained.

"Are you out of your mind, woman?" Ty yelled, finally cracking. "It's below freezing out here, it's supposed to rain, and you want him sitting outside with wet hair? Are you TRYING to kill - um - what's your name, even?" he suddenly asked, turning to Drew.

"Um, Drew, Drew Hayden-" Drew began, but was interrupted by Gabby.

"You're Drew? As in, _the_ Drew Hayden? The one who's in all the contests and stuff?" Gabby squeaked, eye wide.

Drew blinked at this sudden mood swing. "Y-yeah, that's m-"

"Like, OhmyGod, I'm interviewing Drew Hayden!" the reporter squealed excitedly. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry about our little misunderstanding, but I am, like, your biggest fan! Can I have an autograph, oh no, my hair looks terrible, gotta fix it! Eeeeeee!" She dashed back into the van, slamming the door behind her.

Ty groaned. "Oh, great, I thought we got rid of Valley-Gab. The producers are gonna love this." He turned to Drew, half-smiling. "Yeah, that's Gabby. She's kind of high maintenance, but she's a decent reporter. At least, she is when she isn't inserting 'like' every three words. I'm Ty, by the way." He held out a hand. "Don't worry, I'm not afraid of germs."

"Drew. Nice to meet you. Oh, and over there is Max," Drew shook the cameraman's hand, then pointed out Max, who was standing with Officer Jenny a short ways away.

"Cool, think I'll go say hello. Oh, and if Gabby comes out and I'm not back, do not let her put anything on you. I don't know what it is, but it sticks to you for days. And don't let her force you to shower, either."

Ty meandered over to greet Max and Jenny, leaving Drew alone. He sat alert, on his guard in case Gabby should try and attack him with mysterious goo. He shivered slightly, then leaned back to look up at the sky. The sun had presumably already sunk down past the horizon, but it was hard to say. The clear skies of the past two days had been replaced by mountains of dark clouds. At this point, the weather people had given up on predicting snow, and instead advised against a chilly downpour. _Fun,_ Drew thought. Then, _Do I really smell that bad?

* * *

_

May stood midway up the stairs, modeling her dress for her parents' benefit. Her father had put on his 'stoic' face, but that was just his way of dealing with his daughter's first date. Meanwhile, her mother was snapping picture after picture, occasionally cooing things like "Oh, sweetie, you look so grown up!" and "Thank goodness for digital cameras, I can take so many more pictures!"

May smiled down at them. "It's a shame you guys won't be here to see me off," she sighed.

"Oh, I agree, May, but we have to go to this Gym Leader… thing," Caroline sighed along with her. "But don't worry, we should be back later tonight."

"Well, at least you got to 'talk' to Brendan, right, Daddy?" May said, looking at her father.

Norman's expression was unchanged. "Yes, we did… talk. And remember, if he _tries _anything-"

"Da-ad, I know this stuff!" May blushed, embarrassed. "Anyways, don't you guys need to be going? Ever Grande's an hour away, even for Dodrio."

Caroline checked her watch and gasped. "Oh my goodness, you're right! Norman, we're going to be late if we don't hurry!"

"But-"

"No buts! If May needs anything, she can call you on her PokeNav. Now come ON, we have to hurry!" She raced into the kitchen to retrieve her purse and put down the camera, then ran back to the front hall and out the door, dragging her husband along with her. "We love you, honey!" May heard. Then with a whoosh of wings, her parents were gone, on their way across Hoenn.

"And they tell me _I'm _late all the time," May chuckled to herself, closing the front door and returning to her room. She surveyed herself in the mirror affixed to her door. She was fairly proud of what she saw.

She was wearing her black velvet dress and the comfy heels, and had a warm red trench coat to wear over it outside. She had ditched her bandana and had carefully brushed her hair, bringing out its natural shine and curl. A small dash of makeup and a simple black purse completed the look. She pivoted slowly in front of the glass. _Perfect._

She sat down at her desk, turning back and forth on her swivel chair. She glanced at the clock. Six forty-eight. _So Brendan will be here in about… twelve minutes. Unless that reunion thing holds him up, he said that might happen. _May paused in her pivoting, thinking on her date. Everything seemed to be going wonderfully: She had the clothes, the parental approval, and the date. And yet, something, somehow, seemed to be missing. May couldn't understand it. Brendan was one of the nicest people she'd ever met, and she could tell he liked her. But at the same time… she couldn't explain it, even to herself. A line from the musical _Wicked_ came to mind:

**'Cause getting your dreams/It's strange, but it seems/A little - well - complicated...**

_Of course, it isn't an exact parallel, _May thought to herself. _I didn't betray people by getting a boyfriend. _

_Well, actually, that's debatable, _another voice chimed in. _I mean, in a way, you're betraying-_

"Ugh, I need to clear my head," May muttered to no one in particular. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth, that'll help." She stood and left her room, turning off the light behind her. Hopefully leaving her doubts behind her too.

* * *

Drew stood as Ty came back over to him, Jenny and Max trailing behind for lack of anything else to do. "Hey, dude, I'm guessing you might be nervous, right?" Ty asked him.

Drew shrugged. "Yeah, a bit."

"Well, there is one thing you could do that'll make you feel better and possibly shut up Gabby a bit." The cameraman pulled a packaged toothbrush and a water bottle out of a nearby bag.

"Brushing my teeth will make me feel better?" Drew queried, eyebrows raised. "Do I really smell that bad?"

Ty raised his hands in protest. "No, not a bit, man, seriously, brushing your teeth is like a confidence booster. Trust me, I've been at this for a while."

Drew accepted the proffered items, then brushed his teeth as instructed. It did, he realized, make a difference, having clean teeth. Ty grinned. "See? Behold the epic powers of toothpaste!"

"If you say so," Drew replied, wondering what he should now do with a used toothbrush. Ty noticed this, and held out a trash can.

"Yeah, we carry one-timers around here, it's fine, you can pitch it." Then he checked his watch. "Okay, in six minutes, they're going to play the music video. You can even see it," he gestured at a screen set up behind the camera, "and when it's done, Gabby will do the interview. Nothing major, just a couple questions. Actually, Gabby should be the one telling you this. Where is that woman?"

Ty glanced around the street, dark except for the streetlamps and the bright lights brought for the interview. "Are you serious? She's still doing her hair? She has short hair, how hard can it be?" He marched over to the van doors and was about to pound on them when they were flung open, smacking him aside.

Gabby hopped out, oblivious to her cameraman clutching his nose and whimpering in pain. She looked… pretty much exactly the same as she had twenty-five minutes before. "All right, let's get this show on the road!" she squealed. "So, Drew, let me fill you in, okay? So, you're going to see the music video first, then-"

"I know, Ty already told me," Drew cut in.

Gabby looked around her. "Yeah, where is Ty? Slacking, no doubt. I swear, I have, like, the laziest cameraman in the whole wide world! Like, my cousin in Sinnoh, Roxy, she has this guy, Oli, and he's like, totally awesome!" Behind her, Ty staggered around indignantly; she was, after all, adding insult to injury. Literally. "So, yeah, but, you know, make do with whatcha got, right?" She looked expectantly at Drew.

"Oh, uh, right," he answered.

Ty strode up to them, rubbing his nose. "Two minutes till the video, Gabby," he mumbled nasally. "_Ow…_"

"M'kay, so, everybody, places! You two, get out of the shot!" This was directed at Officer Jenny and Max, who were still standing around awkwardly.

"But-" Max began.

"No buts! This is my interview with _the_ Drew Hayden, and you people are in the way! Shoo!" Officer Jenny sighed, sending Drew an _I'm-sorry-I-got-you-into-this_ look, and retreated into the shadows, pulling the younger boy along with her. Meanwhile, the reporter pulled out her microphone, checked her hair one last time in the lens of the camera, then stood next to Drew.

"The music video is on in one minute," Ty called, plugging the last few cords into their proper places. "Get ready for it!"

* * *

May, having finished a very thorough tooth-brushing regimen, decided to wait downstairs for Brendan. That way, her hated doorbell would only have to ring _once._ She walked down the stairs, careful not to trip in her heels. Upon reaching the front hall, she noticed the television had been left on, probably by her father, who had wanted to check the weather before Flying to Ever Grande City. A quick glance at the screen told her that it was the local news station. She gazed around her living room, looking for the remote, whose power button was really the only way to turn off the TV without scrambling something or other.

Just as she had found it, she noticed a timer in the upper-right hand corner of the screen, clicking down from fifty-two seconds. At the same time, the anchor at the desk shot the camera a dazzling smile. "When we come back after this message from our sponsors, we'll be showing the worldwide premiere of the new music video for the song 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' by The Script. Stay tuned!"

May grinned. "Huh, maybe Mom's right. Sometimes good things do get shown on the news. Besides, it'll give me something to do while I wait for Brendan. She waited as a commercial for Pokemon vitamins played. As promised, the anchor reappeared afterwards.

"In just ten seconds, we'll be showing the music video! Count down with me! Seven, six-"

"Five, four," May found herself mouthing.

* * *

"Three," Gabby murmured.

"Two," muttered Ty, rechecking all his equipment.

Drew stared at the screen. "One."

* * *

**I think that was the coolest ending for any chapter in this fic so far. So we're finally here! At this point! In time! It'll all be over soon! And then what will I do? Oh, right, write more stuff. But in all seriousness, I love this story, I'm way proud of it and how it's turned out, and I'm really grateful to all of you who read and/or review.**

**One little thing befor I forget: the joke about turning a phrase from last chapter is from MediaMessiah. Credit where credit is due, I suppose. Because clearly I'm not that funny... ah well.**

**Anyways, back to my main point: You readers are awesome, really and truly. I've been proud to write for you all. And yet all good things must come to an end, and will in (I'm pretty sure) two chapters. But remember; that's still two chapters, yea!**

**So if you enjoyed this chapter, you can review. If you didn't like this chapter, you can review. If you feel kind of neutral about it, you can still review! A little goal of mine, one that would make me happy, is if we could have 100 reviews by the time I finish. It's a rather lofty goal, I know, but maybe not that lofty. As of now, we only need fourteen more. So do that for me, please; it would make my day like you wouldn't believe.**

**Do svidaniya (that means goodbye in Russian, hopefully I spelled it right),**

**Carp  
**


	17. Finale

**Hello to you all. I hope you had a lovely Labor Day, all you Americans. As to the rest of the world... hope you had a nice Monday? Anyways, this is the climax, the peak, the thing you've all been badgering me to get on with and do. The interview. So why torture you with words?**

**One last thing though: I strongly advise you to go on YouTube and watch this video again before you read, because it may make more sense that way. It's up to you.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: Pokemon doesn't belong to me, nor does the awesome song of awesomeness, "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". The real owners are Satoshi Tajiri and The Script.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Friday: Finale

* * *

**

"In just ten seconds, we'll be showing the music video! Count down with me! Seven, six-"

"Five, four," May found herself mouthing. "Three, two, one." The countdown clock clicked over to zero, then faded away as the music video started.

May sat and watched, singing along under her breath, but mostly taking it all in. The video showed almost exactly what she had always imagined when listening; a guy sitting patiently, refusing to move. But as the song ended, May found herself saddened. _He didn't get the girl… even after all he did, even after sitting through the rain and the snow, she never showed up._ The last notes hung in the air, then faded away, returning the anchor to her usual place.

"Well, there you have it, the premiere of the music video for The Script's 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'. In case you missed it, we'll play it again in a few minutes." May's hand drifted towards the remote. _Video's over, besides, Brendan should be here any minute._ Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by the anchor, who now only took up half of the screen.

"But before we do that, we have something else to show you all. A live interview with the real-life inspiration for the song! Over to you, Gabby." These last words were directed to the woman on the other half of the screen, a reporter with short purple hair and a falsely cheery smile. May's hand froze above the power button, curiosity overriding her distaste for anything news-related.

The reporter, Gabby, smiled even wider as her face took up the entire screen. "Thank you, Sue. Yes, the song you just heard is actually based on a true story happening right here in Petalburg. I'm standing out on the streets for an interview with Drew Hayden!"

May stared, dumbfounded, as the camera angle widened to admit her somewhat disheveled but definitely recognizable rival onto the screen. He looked cold, but there was something else that was… different about him, but May couldn't put her finger on it. She grabbed the remote and stabbed at the Volume Up control, not wanting to miss a single word.

The reporter was talking. "So, Drew, what do you think of the song? This was the first time you'd heard it, right?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah, this was the first time I'd heard it. It's good, a good song, but it's not totally accurate."

Gabby raised her perfectly even eyebrows. "Oh? How so?"

The teenager shrugged. "Well, it hasn't snowed, obviously," Gabby nodded, and so did May. "And I don't have a cardboard sign, but those are just kind of, you know, small things, creative license, or whatever you want to call it. But probably the biggest difference is that I didn't meet… this girl here, where I'm sitting. I met her somewhere else."

The reporter leaned in even closer, which sent a jolt of irritation through May's mind. _She doesn't need to be THAT close to him… wait, why do I care?_ "So, if you didn't meet her here, this 'mystery girl' of yours, then why did you pick this street?" The camera shot upwards, focusing in on the street signs for First Street and Maple Avenue.

Drew hesitated, and May sat tense, waiting for his answer. Then he cleared his throat, and began.

"I-I guess it's partially coincidence, but it's more than that. I saw the sign, and, well…" He paused, as if unsure, but then his expression changed from indecision to resolve. "The street, Maple, it's perfect, because it can always remind me of the reason I'm still here, the reason I didn't quit, even when I saw her with someone else, the reason why I won't give up on you, May!"

May stiffened. Could she have misheard?

"I stay here, no matter what, because I'm fairly certain I'm in love with you, May Maple, and I know you hate the news, I know you probably aren't seeing this, I know you're probably with that other guy, but it doesn't matter, May. It doesn't matter! I will wait for you for as long as it takes. Even if you never come, I'm not moving. I'm not." Drew's voice cracked slightly near the end, and he fell silent.

The reporter stared at him. "Um, we'll be right back after these messages!"

May was in shock. _Drew… loved her? But, but, he… why? Why didn't he… Why couldn't he…_ Her thoughts swirled round and round, blurring until she could not understand herself. She got up from the couch in a daze, kicked off her heels, and grabbed her red boots. Shoving them on, she hurried towards the door… and stopped.

_What am I doing? Brendan will be here any minute, I can't just stand him up! _her mind screamed at her.

But a much louder voice overrode this one. _You don't love Brendan, that's what's been missing,_ it told her. _You love Drew, but you were so sure he didn't care that you decided you wanted Brendan. Well, now you know he cares, so stop stalling. Go to him, hurry!_

_But I can't just leave, can I?_ the smaller part of her mind argued. May herself seemed to be ignoring her internal struggle as she grabbed a notepad from the kitchen. On it she scrawled, _Brendan, something came up. I'm sorry._ She left the note perched where he could see it, then dashed out her front door. First and Maple weren't that far away, ten minutes if she ran. So she ran, hoping against hope that she wouldn't trip and fall on her face.

* * *

"And we're back with our interview with Petalburg's own 'Man Who Can't Be Moved', Drew Hayden!" Gabby announced, her fake smile glittering in the bright lighting. "Now, Drew, any last words before we play the music video again for those who missed it?"

Drew nodded slowly. It felt surreal, actually being on the news telling May he loved her. Maybe it wasn't real at all. He wondered if he'd ever have this much courage again. _Well, might as well make the most of it. I may never get this chance again._ "Yeah, May, if you're watching… I want you to know, I'm sorry, and I know that those words probably don't mean much to you. Why would they, they're just words, nothing more. But, you see, that's why I'm sitting here. Because words really aren't enough. Not now, not ever. But I still want to apologize for everything I've ever said, all those times I ever made fun of you, or made you feel inadequate, or whatever. Every rose was for you, and don't believe anything different."

Gabby blinked. "Wow. Well, with that for those who missed it or just want to see it again, here's The Script's new music video!" She paused, fake smile frozen, until Ty waved his hand, indicating they were off air. Her face relaxed from the manic grin to a more normal expression. She raised an eyebrow at Drew. "Wow, you sure know how to make a point. That May girl would be lucky to have you, especially because she obviously doesn't deserve you."

Drew's face twisted into a scowl. "Excuse me?"

The reporter waved a hand dismissively. "You really are too good for her. I mean, what idiot lets someone like you get away? And you mentioned some other guy, I seem to recall. Wow, what a-"

"Don't you dare talk about May like that!" Drew snarled, startling her with his interruption. "May has every reason to 'let me get away', as you put it. My stupidity is what pushed her away, that's not her fault, it's mine. So don't you dare say May doesn't deserve me, because it's the other way around. She's too good for me."

Gabby started to say something, but then her eyes widened in sudden comprehension. "You're really serious about her then? This is all for real?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah. I meant everything I said."

"You did?" a voice asked.

Drew's head whipped around. There was someone there, in the shadows. The figure stepped forward, hesitantly, then broke into a run, crashing into him and wrapping their arms around him, sobbing into his chest. Drew sat there in shock. "M-may? What- why are you- don't cry-"

Tentatively, he placed his arms around her, hopefully comforting her. May sniffled a bit, trying to calm herself, and looked up at him. "Y-you did this for me? Staying outside? Why?"

Drew smiled. He gently reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "You're all dressed up," he observed. "Going somewhere nice?"

May laughed shakily. "Nah, I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go," she sighed.

"You could stay here," Drew offered. "Unless you'd rather be with that Brendan guy, of course. I mean, you looked pretty happy with him, a few days back, you're all dressed up like you're going on a date..." He mentally prepared himself for her to tell him she was Brendan's girlfriend, that she didn't care, but those words never came. Instead, the brunette wrapped her arms around his neck, smiled, and brought her lips to his.

Gabby tapped Ty's shoulder. "You're getting this on film, right?" she whispered.

The cameraman nodded. "Yeah, just now," he breathed.

* * *

Brendan hurried up May's driveway. He was, according to his wristwatch, eight minutes late. He paused at the front porch. The door was open. "Um, okay… Hey, May, I'm here!" he called. Deciding he might as well enter the house, he did so. He noticed two things: a folded note on the stairs, and the fact that the television was on. He grabbed the note and went into the living room, wondering if May was in there.

On the screen, a purple-haired reporter woman was announcing some music video by The Script. _Hey, I think that's that song May was into. Well, she said it was a good song, might as well watch it._ He sat and watched as the music video played.

_Well, it's a decent song. Yeah, it's fine. I'm not in the 'wow' zone like May, but, yeah._ As the music video was ending, Brendan opened the note. _Brendan, something came up. I'm sorry. _His face fell in disappointment.

"Well, I'm sure it's important. May usually has a good reason for stuff like thi-" Brendan broke off his thinking out loud as the music video ended, to be replaced with… May and some other guy, wrapped up in each other's embrace. Brendan stared. _But, but, I thought we… I thought she… _He sighed. _I… I guess I thought wrong. She did have that other guy. And,_ he looked more closely at the screen as the couple broke apart, allowing him to see May's face, _I can see she's happier. Her eyes are practically glowing. That never happened with me._ He sighed. _Well, I know when I've lost. He had just better take care of her, that's all._

He glanced around and found a pen, then wrote on the back of May's note, _It's okay. And I'm always here for you, no matter what, May. Bye._ And with that, he left her house, pulling the door shut gently behind him.

* * *

"And so, as you can see, life does not always imitate art," Gabby announced as May and Drew broke apart. May smiled softly, leaning her head on Drew's shoulder. They stayed that way for a while as the reporter chattered away. Suddenly, May felt something small and cold brush against her face. She looked up at the sky, confused, and saw a million snowflakes drifting down from the darkness above. She laughed in delight. Drew just smiled and shivered slightly. May realized that he was probably freezing.

"I think you can move now," she whispered, brushing snowflakes out of his hair.

* * *

**So, that's that. Only one more chapter to go, and then our ways must part until I write again.**

**Most of my sappy thank-yous will have to wait until Chapter the Last, but I would like to say one thing to the HoennShippers: I voted for Brendan. I honestly wanted him to win, even though it could not happen. It didn't start out that way, though. Originally he was a lot less likeable. But he grew on my, him and that hat of his. So, I am sorry. I'm sad with you. But try to be happy for May, because she really wanted this ending.**

**Now please review; I would really, really love it if there were at least 100 reviews by story's end. Tell me what you think.**

**Well, until next time, readers and the occasional buddy.**

**Carp  
**


	18. The Epilogue

**Hi, it's been such a long time, I know! Believe me when I say I did **_**not **_**expect this to be on a two-month hiatus. But every time I tried writing this, it came out wrong, or sounded too cheesy or just unsatisfactory in some way, shape, or form. So I put it aside, hoping I'd come back refreshed. Well... it kind of got forgotten, a bit. Not entirely, but it was just sort of... okay, now I'm just making excuses. Sorry.**

**And then a week ago, I got a message asking me to finish my story, and I started to think about it again. Trying to figure out how things should work. And then yesterday I just sat down and wrote it out. Thank you, XxRedRose26xX. Thank you for getting me to work this all out. (Ooh, look! You got your thank-you early!)**

**Now, before you read this (assuming you didn't skip past all this boring blabbity-blah and go straight to the story), I just want to say that there is a good chance you might be dissatisfied, be it by shipping or actions or the fact that I've written a Christmas ending... in the beginning of November. As to that last one, I should probably point out that I began writing this in midsummer, and had I behaved like a maniac and written this all in a couple weeks, it would have been Christmas in JULY. But regarding other issues you may have: I can't make everyone happy, not even myself, necessarily. No ending is perfect, I'm sure this one isn't, but it has to end, and I like this ending enough to use it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon or "The Man Who Can't Be Moved". Respective intellectual rights go to Satoshi Tajiri and The Script.

* * *

**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Epilogue

* * *

**

"It figures, doesn't it?" May sighed, slouching at the kitchen table. "The first time I've ever wanted the doorbell to ring, and they're taking forever to get here!"

Her mother looked up from her paper, glancing at the clock. "May, they're not due for another half hour at least. Oh, and thank you again for helping Norman with fixing our doorbell problem, Drew."

Drew shrugged modestly. "It's really no problem, Mrs. Maple. Dad taught me how to fix stuff when I was younger, it just comes in handy."

Caroline chuckled. "So polite!" Then, shifting her newspaper so only May could see her face, she mouthed _"He's a keeper!"_

Drew noticed May's cheeks reddening and smirked slightly as he stood, gesturing for her to do likewise. Together, they wandered into the front hall and sat on the stairs.

"Charm gets you everywhere, doesn't it?" May asked him teasingly.

"So far, pretty much," he replied nonchalantly, slipping his hand into hers.

May raised her eyebrows. "But what about when it doesn't?" she continued, inching towards him slightly.

Drew flicked his hair out of his eyes, half-smiling. "Well," he breathed, leaning closer, "then I'll just have to try something else, then, won't I-"

"Oh, come on! Can't a guy go anywhere without you two being all mushy and stuff?"

May and Drew whipped around to see Max standing over them on the stairs, frowning slightly. "I mean, it's nice that you're living your happily-ever-after, or whatever, but, I mean, do the guys in the stories get all weird when that happens?"

Drew grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Max. Although I'm pretty certain they did get all weird and stuff, but, yeah."

Max shrugged. "Nah, it's okay, I'm kind of just messing with you. Hey, May, do you know when the people are coming?"

The brunette shook her head. "Check with my mom, she said something like half an hour, but that probably changed-"

_Ding-dong! Di-di-di-di-di-ding-dong!_

"Or they're here now," Max quipped.

May grinned and stood, hurrying to the door and pulling it open. On her porch stood Ash, Misty, Brock, Dawn, Paul, Zoey, Kenny, Gary, and an unfamiliar girl with long brown hair.

"Hey, wait, I thought you guys weren't due for, what, half an hour?" May asked.

Misty's teeth chattered as she replied, "Yeah, well, we hurried. It's kind of blizzarding, so, yeah, could we please come inside?"

"Oh! Yeah, come in, come in!" May grinned, stepping aside so her guests could file in. The front hall was suddenly filled with wet coats, gloves, and earmuffs.

"Uh, we should probably toss all this in the dryer," May murmured to herself. Raising her voice to be heard, she continued, "Hey, Drew, could you give me a hand with this?"

The room went quiet. All eyes turned to May and Drew. Drew raised a hand and waved it half-heartedly. "Um, hi," he said awkwardly.

The room was silent for a minute, then Dawn spoke. "But… I thought… You said… Huh?"

"Eloquent," Paul muttered under his breath, smirking.

May bit her lip. "Uh, yeah, well… forget whatever I said two weeks ago, and… yeah."

"But where's Brendan then?" Ash asked. "I was kind of hoping for a battle-"

"Ash, for crying out loud, do you ever think about anything except food or battles?" Misty snarled.

"Umm…" Ash blushed crimson. "I do think about-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm way confused, who are you people and what are we talking about?" Everyone turned to look at the girl standing next to Gary.

"Oh, right, sorry, uh, guys, I'll do the introductions, I guess," Gary said. "This is Leaf, and we're, um…"

Leaf raised an eyebrow. "Wandering the world together as of late?" she offered.

"Sure, let's go with that," Gary said, shrugging. But despite his relatively calm exterior, those who knew Gary (so, basically two-thirds of those present) could tell that he was about as close to shyness as it was possible for him to be. They smirked in unison, leaving those who weren't in the know (Max, Kenny, Zoey, and Paul), a tad bit confused.

Just then, Caroline wandered in. "Oh my goodness, hello! Oh, it's been so long since I've seen some of you! Oh, let's get you all settled right away! Oh, but first, some hot chocolate to warm you all up, right?" She herded the group into the kitchen, leaving Drew and May alone.

"So, where is Brendan?" Drew asked.

May half-smiled. "His dad called him, asked if he wanted to help him and Professor Rowan with some research in Sinnoh. Something about mountains and Shellos colorings. So, yeah, that's why he isn't here. He was still invited, I mean, he is my friend still-" She broke off as Drew's face hardened slightly. "-not like that, Drew. We've just known each other for a long time and I guess… maybe he thought it was something else."

"And you?"

She sighed. "I… this sounds so cruel, but I think I might have been a bit on the rebound or something. But not anymore."

He grinned. "Glad to hear it. Now c'mon, let's get some hot chocolate before Ash drinks it all."

"He would do that," May agreed, laughing slightly as she turned towards the kitchen with him, hand in hand.

* * *

The next few days were spent in a buzz of activity. They set up and decorated the tree with Pokemon ornaments, including a ceramic Pichu bell and several glass Beautifly. Meanwhile, Caroline, Brock, and Leaf spent much of their time in the kitchen, busily making endless batches of cookies, everything from gingerbread men to snickerdoodles. Caroline had to hide a smile as Leaf forced Gary to sample her batch of somewhat misshapen cookies, and then again as he realized they were, in fact, delicious.

Then came the shopping trip. They went as a group, all wrapped in thick scarves, warm jackets, and waterproof boots to protect themselves from the snow. Hours later, they returned home, the girls just coming down after the rush of spending, and the boys groaning under all their bags.

But finally it was Christmas, and everyone sat in the living room, opening presents. Pretty soon, the room was covered in brightly colored wrapping paper and people were exclaiming over each other's gifts, which ranged from the usual (Kenny's new scarf from Dawn), to the edible (everyone received a tin of cookies from Leaf and Brock), to the strange (specifically, Misty's Mallet Care Kit from Ash, which prompted everyone to ask just _where_ he found such a thing. He found it on eBay, as it happened, but that's beside the point.)

While the others compared presents, Drew tapped May's shoulder. "Here," he said. "Merry Christmas, May, and thank you for the headphones, I definitely needed new ones."

She grinned at him. "Yeah, when they're held together with duct tape and prayers, you should really get new ones." She examined the present he had handed her and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have to use a whole roll of tape. I wouldn't peek."

Drew cringed. "Um, wrapping presents isn't one of my strong points, but I wanted it to be a surprise, so… I tried."

She smiled reassuringly and tore the paper off to reveal… "Oh, Drew…"

He bit his lip. "I know you probably already have it, but I thought- mmph!" He was cut off as she tackled him with a hug.

"And here I figured you were going to get me a glass rose or something like that," she exclaimed. "But this… this is perfect."

Drew breathed a sigh of relief. "Excellent. Uh… can't breathe…"

"Oh, sorry," May loosened her arms, admiring her new present: a CD single of "The Man Who Can't Be Moved".

"Open it later, there's something-" Drew murmured, but then Caroline and Norman stood up and the hubbub died down somewhat.

"So, hopefully you are all enjoying your Christmas, right?" Norman asked. He was greeted with nods. "Excellent. Well, my wife and I have one last present to give. Max?"

Max looked up, startled. "Yes, sir?"

Norman chuckled. "Here you go, and please stop calling me 'sir'." He handed Max a flat envelope with a Christmas bow stuck on. May and Drew grinned, understanding what was happening, but Max just looked confused.

"Open it," Caroline said gently. Max obeyed and pulled out a stack of papers covered in small type and signatures. He looked up, bewildered.

"Max, what we've done, well, Drew's mother, she's a lawyer, pulled a few strings, and it's all set to go, but only if you-"

"Adoption?" Max's voice cracked with emotion. "Y-you w-want me?"

Norman and Caroline nodded. Behind him, May whispered, "I always kind of wanted a little brother."

"So… what do you say? Do you want to become a Maple?" Norman asked hopefully.

Max's only response was to run and hug his new parents. All around the room, eyes were suddenly filling with tears as Max repeated over and over, "I have a family. I have a family! I HAVE A FAMILY!"

Later, when she found a moment to herself, May opened the case. Tucked into the cover alongside the sleeve notes was a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and read:

_May,_

_I'm not moving. Not until you tell me to, that is._

_Love, Drew_

She smiled softly. His present really was perfect.

* * *

The next day, the doorbell rang early in the morning. May stumbled down the stairs, yawning. She opened the door, and quickly wished she hadn't.

"May!" Harley squealed. "Oh, my little gingerbread cookie, how are you doing! Oh, I can't stay long, Solidad's waiting in the car, but guess wha-at?" He asked in a falsetto voice.

"Wha-oh!" May was cut off as Harley showed off a rather… ostentatious ring on his left ring finger.

"Uh-huh, Solidad proposed! To little old me! Isn't it pretty? We're headed to Maiden's Peak for the wedding, but just thought I'd tell you! Merry Christmas, sugarplum!"

And with that, Harley bounded out the door and into a car parked at the end of the street. "Ta-ta!" he squealed, then drove away.

May closed the door slowly. _Think of happy things, May. Just block it all out and go back to sleep. Seriously, what next, Team Rocket wishing us a Merry Christmas?_ She shook her head and wandered upstairs.

* * *

Another week drifted by. The group went outside and fought an epic, boys versus girls snowball fight. It ended with an eventual draw as Zoey and Kenny were the only two left standing and were unable to hit each other, being evenly matched. Afterwards, they sat drinking hot chocolate as the others drifted off to do other things, like watch old Christmas specials on videotape or arm-wrestle with Leaf.

Zoey sighed. Kenny glanced at her. "You okay?"

"Well… I dunno, Kenny, I just… sometimes I feel like I'm only a spectator here, like I'm just… an extra, or something, and it's really bothering me, I guess.

Kenny blinked. "I feel the same, at least the spectator part. But you know what?"

"What?"

"It's a lot more fun when there's someone there with you."

Zoey blinked, then smiled. "This is true, Ken. This is true."

* * *

And then, too soon, it was New Year's Eve. Everyone would part ways in two days, but lasting friendships had been formed that year. As usual, a New Year's Eve party was held to count down to the new year, watch the fireworks, and reminisce. In addition to everyone already at the house, Delia and Johanna came. Also invited was the Petalburg Officer Jenny, who stood apart a bit, unfamiliar with the people around her and in general feeling a bit lost. She perched herself on a chair and watched all the people standing together, talking and laughing. She especially seemed to notice all the teenaged couples, even the ones who didn't really know they were couples yet.

She sighed. "I wish I could have what they have. Someone to be with, who cares about me for me." She grimaced. "But that's a pipe dream, I suppose."

"You're telling me," a voice said, then a young man sat in the empty chair next to her. "All the women in the world think I'm just some sort of crazy flirt, but that's not it. I just don't know what to say to women!"

"Same!" Jenny exclaimed enthusiastically, then blushed. "Except, you know, with men…"

The other man didn't seem to mind. "Hi, I'm Brock."

"Jenny, but you probably knew that."

Brock shook his head. "Yes, I knew that, but you're specifically the Petalburg Jenny. I can tell, because you're different from all your cousins."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Like you can tell, no one outside of the family can."

Brock shrugged. "Wanna bet?"

Jenny found herself grinning in spite of herself. "Tell me." This looked to be an interesting night after all.

* * *

A few hours later, Norman called everyone outside for the New Year's fireworks display. They all gathered outside and joined in as the Normal Type Gym Leader lead the countdown. "Four, three, two, one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

On cue, the fireworks began, and lasted for about ten minutes. Red, purple, green, blue and gold stars lit up the night sky in a shimmering rainbow of color and sound. But then it was over, and everyone trooped back into the house for sparkling cider and hot chocolate.

Everyone, that is, except for May and Drew. They sat on the edge of the treehouse's platform, legs dangling over the edge, watching his Masquerain and her Beautifly flutter in the night.

"Won't we have to call them in soon?" May asked worriedly. "I mean, won't they freeze?"

Drew placed an arm around May's shoulders. "Give them five minutes. Masquerain nearly attacked me because I said you said I was going to marry Beautifly. I think he's entitled."

May blinked. "When did I say- oh. Right." She looked down at the ground below, then murmured, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For your present. I realized I never thanked you properly, and… can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She seemed to steel herself, then asked, "When you said you loved me, on the news, did you mean it? Honestly now? Like if I asked you right now if you loved me, would the answer still be yes?"

Drew met her gaze. "I believe so. I've never felt like this before, May. Why do you ask?"

She smiled. "I just wanted to be sure, because I believe I love you too." She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her protectively, leaning in to kiss her softly. And there they sat, for that moment completely at peace, watching their Pokemon dance together beneath the full moon.

* * *

**The End

* * *

**

**So, that's that. The end of The Man Who Can't Be Moved.**

**I hope you all liked it. I realize it's maybe different than the rest of the fic. That's probably why if you want to consider it a 'separate' story, that's fine. But there won't be a sequel, not because I hate the story or whatever, quite the opposite. I took the story as far as it can go. What else is there to say? But you may have noticed that I tried to make it so there was a bit of the fluffy interaction that got missed out on during the story, seeing as Drew and May only interact with each other in the first and last chapter, not counting the flashback. That's also a reason why the other ships don't get as much focus, because it's really a ContestShipping story when all's said and done.**

**Also, if you don't celebrate Christmas... um, well. No offense, but I just can't do Season's Greetings. I'm a Catholic, I celebrate Christmas, just like those of other faiths presumably celebrate your own holidays. Now, if you have a problem with them celebrating New Year's... uh, why? Anyways, just wanted to say that. Oh, and if it's actually that season when you're reading this, Merry Christmas! Not a Christmas person? Happy -Insert your holiday-! (I'd list some, but I don't want to leave others out...) Whatever you're celebrating, have fun, m'kay?**

**Now it's time for all those mushy thank-yous I promised last chapter. If you aren't into that kind of thing, don't read.**

**Arysd, thank you for reviewing every single chapter. That meant a lot to me, back when I was starting out, and still does.  
MediaMessiah, thank you for, among other things, helping me write Chapter 14, and also for still reading when it was clear which ship was going to win. (That goes for all of you HoennShippers who made it to this chapter. Thanks so much, guys.)  
Thanks to hitsugaya16 and PikaForce, who both have cheered me up when I've been down over this fic.  
Thanks to Chausten for taking the time to seriously analyze my fic and point out small problems, something I actually found awesome. (And see, I listened to you, there isn't a '?' in sight, except for that one.)  
Oh my goodness, there are so many of you who reviewed and brightened my day, I just can't fit it all in! You are all wonderful. Heck, even thank you to all the people who just read and don't review or anything, it just makes my day to know that someone, somewhere, read what I wrote. That's what being an author's about, right?**

**So thank you all. I don't know what or when I'll write next, but I do have some ideas buzzing around in the background... **

**OH! I almost forgot! There's still two things to address! First, reviews! Thank you so, so much for getting me to that 100 review goal. As of now, there's 108! And it's all thanks to you the readers. Thank you, thank you.  
Secondly, the poll. You know the one, the 'who should win' poll? Well, out of 53 votes, two-thirds voted for Drew, and the other third voted for Brendan. Just thought I'd mention that. Thank you for voting, if you did.**

**Okay. One last thing, like, Valley-Carp promises. (Like, you all knew I was totally set for a cameo, right?) So, like, seeing as this is, like, the last chapter and stuff, and I'm, like, probably never going to be seen, like, ever again, could you, like, maybe review? Please! It would make me, like, so happy like you would not be-lieve!**

**Translation if you don't speak Valley: Please review one last time. Because, sadly, this is goodbye for this fic at least. **

**Well, I really have talked your ears off, and you all have other things that need attending to. Thank you one last time.**

**Cheers, paz, and all that jazz,**

**CarpeDiemEveryday, or Carp**

**

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**_Update 2/24/11: __Aheh... remember me saying there would never be a sequel? Well... that's not entirely true. You may have noticed that one of the main players in this story was absent from this epilogue. This, in hindsight, bothered me. So, if you don't want the magic to stop just yet, there is a oneshot called Breakeven out. Enjoy. CDE**  
**_


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